Silent Voices
by Queen Sunstar
Summary: Kaito collapses on stage. He deteriorates rapidly, slipping into heart failure. Stressed out over the possibility of losing him, the Vocaloids start fighting amongst themselves, friendships snapping apart. They lose the heart to sing, their voices falling silent. No one performs anymore. With Kaito on the verge of death, can the group come together when it matters the most?
1. Collapse

**Queen Sunstar: Welcome! (Points at roller coaster style car) Climb in and buckle up tightly! This piece is going to be a roller coaster ride of highs and lows! Make sure Kleenex is within reach. I do plan to include a few songs. Once Upon a December will play a key point in this story, and Bad Apple also has another key point to play. I haven't decided on any other songs to include. My favorite Vocaloid is Kaito, and I have a private playlist of his songs in English. Everybody strapped in tightly? Good, cause here we go!**

Silent Tears

 **KAITO**

"Everybody's got everything this time?" I asked, "We don't need a replay of Miku somehow forgetting her entire concert wardrobe."

"We don't talk about that!" Miku hissed, "It was embarrassing!"

"Akaito, I expect you to call the moment you get off the plane." I continued, ignoring Miku.

"I promise to call. Would you please stop worrying? We'll be fine." Akaito said.

Akaito and I are twins. I was two inches taller than him. We shared the same face, but while my hair and eyes were blue, his hair and eyes were red. I did have a reason to worry. Over the last two months, five planes had vanished over the Pacific Ocean. None of them had been found, and one third of the search party had also vanished.

"I am going to worry until I know you guys made it to Sea-Tac in Washington State." I replied.

"You are responsible for the twins and Luka for the next six weeks. You also have got ten minutes to get to the high school to pick up Luka." Gakupo spoke up, "We will be fine. If you keep worrying like this, you are going to make yourself sick."

The call to board the plane sounded.

"Miku, you do have your concert case, right?" I asked, "No one else is forgetting anything?"

"We got everything. I'm carrying my concert case in my carry-on. Relax, will you?" Miku replied.

"Just making sure. I'll see you again in six weeks. I promise I'll make sure I don't kill Len in the meantime. Good Bye." I watched them leave. For the next six weeks, I was going to be the only adult around. I knew I was more than capable of handling Luka, Rin, and Len. Speaking of Luka, I checked my pocket watch. It was a family heirloom that I had been given by Grandpa Shion. It was silver with sapphire stones were the numbers would be. The hour, minute, and second hands were made from silver and held in place by a sapphire.

Remembering Luka, I rushed to my blue four door Sedan. It was old, and the band had been on my case to get a new car. I loved my old Sedan. It ran well, so why replace what still worked? I was running late. I had to pick up Luka, race across town to pick up Len and Rin, get home and oversee homework, make dinner, and get everybody out the door in time to get to the concert hall. If Len had detention, again, I swore I was going to kill him. My cell phone rang. Just has I had known, it was the middle school calling. Len was in trouble. I sighed, and resisted the urge to scream.

"Kaito here." I answered, "What did Len do now?"

"Kaito, Len cussed out his math teacher, Mrs. Shia, and made her cry." Principal Lan said.

"That's the third time this month. I'll talk to him about it." I responded, pulling up at the high school. Luka was waiting, and I was a few minutes late. She climbed into the front seat.

"I want you to come here so we can talk." Lan said.

"What time?" I wondered just how I was going to squeeze this into my already impossible schedule.

"2:30, right after school lets out for the day." Lan said.

"I'm on my way." I shut my cellphone off and sighed.

"Len again?" Luka asked.

"Yes." I muttered, "He is going to be lucky if I let him live."

I made good time, reaching the school two minutes before 2:30. I got out as Rin arrived. She got into the car. I walked into the school and headed for the office. I knew the route too well, no thanks to Len. Len was already in the principal's office along with Lan. I took a seat, and gave Len a glare. Len squirmed in his seat.

"Thank you for coming in, Kaito. This needs to stop." Lan didn't bother with introductions.

"I agree." I sent another glare at Len.

"May I speak?" Len asked.

"What exactly happened this time?" I asked, ignoring Len.

"Well, from what I was able to gather, Len got his test score back and apparently did not like his grade. He went after Mrs. Shia and gave her a dressing down over the grade, making her cry in the process." Lan explained.

I turned to Len, "Got anything to say for yourself?"

"I do. Since when is one wrong on a fifty question test a C? I only went to Mrs. Shia to point out her mistake, and she went off on me." Len explained, "I called her out on other mistakes and told her she needed to stop being unfair and quit treating me like the dirt under her shoe. Don't I deserve to be treated like a human? I never said a single swear word. Mrs. Shia is lying about that. She only cried because I beat her at her own game."

I felt a headache coming on, "Seriously, Len?"

"I swear that is the whole truth. Mrs. Shia hates me. You should see how she treats Jodye, my deaf classmate. She calls her retard all the time. Face it, she is cruel to us. She once made Rin cry. Is it fair that we students must suffer at the hands of that she-devil? Something has got to be done before she does something irreparable to Jodye, or to me and Rin. I believe she hates me because I stood up to her after she went off on Jodye because Jodye corrected her on a math problem. Mrs. Shia is the problem, not me. Honest." Len explained.

"I will look into this, Len. We need to discuss your punishment." Lan turned to me, "I am going to give him a one week suspension and two weeks of in school suspension. Does that work for you?"

"It works for me. Len and I will discuss his behavior later, and I intend to punish him at home." I said.

Len paled, knowing exactly what his punishment would be. Gakupo kept a pile of chore lists in his room, and I intended to make use of them.

"Oh crap. Crap! I mean oh crud!" Len knew that was a dollar into the swear jar, also Gakupo's idea. Gakupo generally handled discipline.

"You are in so much trouble." I glared at him, "I'm taking you out of the concert tonight."

"You can't do that! You need me for Erase and Zero! Rin needs me for Servant of Evil!" Len protested.

"Those songs are going to be removed, and Servant will be replaced with Daughter of Evil. Luka and I will do Phantom of the Opera instead of Erase and Zero." I deadpanned.

"But that's not fair!" Len cried out.

"That's how it is going to be. You will not perform until your suspension is over, both in school and out of school." I kept my voice soft and level. Len managed to turn white.

"But, but." He sputtered, unable to come up with a response.

"His suspension starts on Monday, after the weekend." Lan decided.

"Good. Len, we are going." I stood. Len stood as well, head hung low. He knew he was in for it.

We walked out to the car and got in. I remained silent on the drive home.

"I've never seen Kaito so mad before." Rin whispered to Luka, "Len really did it this time. I have a feeling I'm about to become an only child."

"Nether have I. I didn't think it was possible for Kaito to do mad." Luka whispered back, "Len is going to be lucky if Kaito lets him live."

We got home. I sent the girls to go get started on their homework while I marched Len straight to his room. He sat on his bed while I remained standing.

"I'm sorry for my actions." Len whispered.

"You will do one chore list from Gakupo each day next week. Also, no performing at any concerts until your suspension is done. Hopefully you will learn that your actions have reactions too. You are also very lucky that Miku isn't here, but I will make sure she knows what you did." I kept my voice soft and level. Apparently, I'm scarier than Miku when I'm mad. Len had to lean in to catch my words.

"What about our fans?" Len asked.

"Oh they will know why you can't perform." I replied, "Now, you are to stay in your room and get your homework done." I left the room and went to the dining room to oversee homework.

As a child, I was a prodigy, graduating at the age of 14 and finishing with college at 18. I had a degree in teaching math, which was my favorite subject. There was something calming about equations. I often did a few in my head to help myself relax. I had done a few driving home from the middle school. Akaito on the other hand graduated high school at 17 and finished college at 21. We had started a year early. Akaito had majored in music and had a degree in teaching music. Luka finished her homework first and got started on dinner. She loved cooking. I helped Rin with her square roots. Rin finished her homework just as Luka finished making dinner. I called Len to come join us.

 **LEN**

Kaito had punished me in the worst way possible. I punched out my pillow to burn off my anger before starting on my homework. Mrs. Shia was emotionally abusive to Jodye. I could see the pain in Jodye's eyes daily, and it hurt. Jodye was deaf, and she was not stupid. I worried every day that I wouldn't see her in class, and be told she'd committed suicide. I knew she was thinking about ending her life. Mrs. Shia was pushing her ever closer to the edge. One day, she would jump and I'd lose her forever. I'd befriended her after I realized she had no one in her corner. Jodye was an amazing girl. She didn't let being deaf stop her. Plus, she was an amazing gamer. We'd often had gaming sessions, and she was the current holder of the world record on the Rainbow Road in Mario Kart on the Wii U. Jodye loved to dance, something that had amazed me. She couldn't hear music, so she felt it instead. I hoped that someday we would perform together. Tonight, she was going to dance with Kaito to Bad Apple. She'd been practicing nearly nonstop since I told her the news. She had come by after school every day to practice with Kaito. She had picked up the moves quickly. We all had been surprised when Kaito revealed that he knew signed language. Miku had named Jodye an honorary Vocaloid after finding out she had only me and Rin as her friends. The band would be her friends, and she often joined us after school due to both of her parents working late. I focused on my homework. After struggling with math for 30 minutes, I picked up my phone and called Jodye. She uses something called a TTY to talk on the phone. It makes it so while I talk, she can read my words and write her answers. She answered on the second ring, and talked me through my math homework. I promised to see her at the concert later and we hung up. I finished my homework quickly after that. Kaito called my name and told me dinner was ready.

I joined everyone at the table to eat.

"I am still going to the concert, right?" I asked.

"You may come, as long as you stay backstage." Kaito decided, knowing I wanted to see Jodye dance. After we finished dinner and I helped with washing dishes, we left for the concert hall. Jodye was already there, getting her costume on. She was wearing a sailor style suit with a mini skirt and flat shoes. Her short hair had been plumped up. She had exchanged her usual glasses for contacts and her usual clunky hearing aids for a pair of in the ear style hearing aids. She smiled as Luka started on her makeup. Rin and Kaito both left to get into costume. I wished I was performing. Luka had already put her costume, a brown leather dress, on. Rin returned, wearing her Daughter of Evil dress. Kaito joined us, wearing his long white jacket with the blue trim over a black tank top and tight pants with blue boots. His jacket shimmered under the lights. He had several costume changes ahead while Jodye would stay in one costume. Luka would change once to perform Phantom of the Opera with Kaito. Rin would change costumes after Daughter of Evil. Luka did Rin's makeup next and moved on to Kaito. Finishing with him, she applied her own quickly.

"Nervous?" Kaito signed to Jodye.

"I am a little bit nervous, but excited at the same time. I've dreamed of dancing before a crowd my entire life." Jodye signed back, "Bad Apple is song number five, right?"

"It's number four. Things had to be shuffled around since Len is not allowed to perform." Kaito responded.

Their hands were moving so fast it was hard to follow.

"Kaito, you are up in five minutes! First song, And So it is!" A stage hand called out. Kaito left for the stage. I followed, watching from backstage. Kaito stopped to take the rose from the stage hand. He took his position, head bowed. The lights came up. He began the song after welcoming everyone to the concert, and explaining that I wasn't allowed to perform for a while due to being suspended from school. I listened to his tender voice bringing life to the song. He was a good singer. I looked at the song order. Rin would be next with Daughter of Evil, and then Luka would sing Eternal Love. Next would be Bad Apple in which Jodye would perform with Kaito. After that, came Phantom of the Opera, then Kaito would to a violin version of Canterella, and then sing I Need Your Love. He would do the Thousand Year Solo followed by When I'm Gone. Rin and Luka would sing Remote Control, and Saihate. Kaito would finish the concert with Ashes to Ashes. Kaito finished his first song. Rin came out in her Daughter of Evil dress. Her voice fit the song perfectly. She finished and Luka came on. After Luka, came the moment I was waiting for. Kaito and Jodye took to the stage. Kaito launched into the first verse of the song. He and Jodye moved in perfect synch. My gaze was locked on Jodye as she moved flawlessly with Kaito.

"Is there a place for the broken in the light?" Kaito's voice fit the song well.

I waited for him to continue. I realized he had stopped singing. In slow motion, I watched pain flow onto his face as he grabbed his chest. His body seemed to fold as he went down. I ran to his side, fear driving me forward.

 **Queen Sunstar: I'm cruel, I know. This is only the first chapter of many. I love the song, Bad Apple, which will turn up again. Kiki is returning too. I love the crazy reaper with her ADD. She is the same one from my other Vocaloid story. Chapter 1 of Wings will be posted soon too. Chapter 1 hit 17 pages Microsoft Office, so I decided to break it up. Yes, there is a shipping, and it will be revealed next chapter. See you then, and feel free to review!**


	2. Agony

**Queen Sunstar: Here's chappy 2! Enjoy, and this is where the action really picks up! I've done a lot of research for this chapter. My shippings for this story are AkaitoXMiku, and GakupoXMieko. I admit it. Jodye is a self-insert. I am deaf, and yes, I don't talk very well, and I do carry a note book around, well I used to until they invented iPads, that is. I do love dancing, and yes, we deaf people feel music instead of hearing it. Anyhow, some big moments are coming up. Enjoy!**

 **KAITO**

Everything was going fine. Jodye and I were moving together in perfect synch. I sang the next line of the song.

"Is there a place for the broken in the light?" White hot pain lanced through my chest. A tight vise clamped around my lungs. I grabbed my chest. I felt my legs giving away. My body hit the stage. My vision faded in and out. I knew something was seriously wrong. The pain grew even more intense. My heart was racing and sweat beaded my brow. I tried to scream, but I couldn't make a sound. Jodye was beside me, her hand on my chest, horror in her eyes. I tried to sign to her, but my body wouldn't respond. Again my vision faded in and out. Len was by my side now, his mouth moving. I strained to hear what he was saying. Another wave of pain crashed through me.

"What is happening?" Len screamed.

Jodye signed the words heart attack. Len looked confused. Jodye pointed at her heart and pantomimed pain. Len was still confused. By now, Rin and Luka had reached my side. Jodye sighed and pulled out her little note pad. She wrote down the words heart attack and showed it to Len. Luka gently lifted my head and placed it on her lap, her hand stroking my hair.

"He's not that old!" Rin cried out.

Jodye wrote on her note pad, "Heart attacks hit any age. I've seen a heart attack before, and Kaito went through the same motions of a heart attack." She suddenly paled, her eyes snapping to her hand.

My vision faded out as I heard a jumble of voices crying out my name.

 **RIN**

I was scared. Fear griped me in a vise. This couldn't be happening! Kaito was too young to be having a heart attack! 22 year olds don't get heart attacks! I wanted to scream and cry, but I held it in. this wasn't right. I had to be dreaming. I watched Jodye do chest compressions. She clearly knew what she was doing, so I stayed out of her way. Luka figured out what Jodye was saying. She definitely could not talk very well. So that is why her interpreter talked for her. Even I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell us. I looked down at Kaito as he returned to consciousness. He was very pale, and his eyes were bright with agony. I could see it on his face. He was trying to curl up, but Jodye kept him from doing so. Looking up, I saw paramedics rushing toward us as stage hands set up partitions to block the view of our many fans. I watched as Kaito drifted out and back into consciousness. I knew that couldn't be good. Luka, Jodye, Len, and I moved out of the way. Kaito's black tank top was cut away so IED leads could be attached to his chest. The portable monitor showed that his heart was racing at 160 beats a minute. I watched as the paramedics worked. Kaito drifted out as the monitor began to wail.

"Ah reest!" Jodye called out again.

A paramedic readied a set of paddles. Kaito jerked with the shock, but the wail continued. A second shock put an end to the wail. Kaito drifted back into consciousness, his face a mask of agony. I noticed he was taking short breaths. It must be very painful to breathe. The paramedics lifted Kaito up onto a stretcher. It was then that I noticed Kaito's rib cage. I could clearly see every bone of his rib cage. His eyes looked hollow, causing his cheek bones to stand out further. He looked emaciated. This had definitely gone on for a while. Why had we missed it? We followed the paramedics out to the ambulance.

"I'll drive." Luka said, moving toward Kaito's Sedan.

"I'm going in the ambulance." I said.

"Okay, Jodye, Len, you two are with me. Jodye, do you want me to take you home?" Luka asked.

Jodye nodded. I joined Kaito in the ambulance. His eyes had glazed over. His jacket was gone, leaving him in only his pants and boots. I took his icy hand into my own.

"You are going to be okay." I whispered, "Everything is going to be fine."

I wondered if I believed myself. The ambulance sped off, lights flashing and siren screaming. I knew Luka was following. The plan according to the driver was to rush to Mercy, a small community hospital that had a cardiologist on staff. The Cardiologist was already waiting at the hospital, having been called in by said hospital when alerted by the paramedics. The plan was to stabilize Kaito and airlift him to Seaside, a university hospital with a state of the art cardio care center. I felt Kaito squeeze my hand comfortingly. I was scared of losing him. To me, Len, and Luka, he was our big brother figure. I tried to imagine what life would be like if he died. I gave up right away because I didn't want to know. I felt Kaito's hand loosen from around my own. At the same time, the monitor sounded a single long tone.

"I need help back here! He's crashing!" the paramedic called. I scooted out of his way as the ambulance came to a stop. The other paramedic climbed in. The paramedics went to work on Kaito. I watched, and prayed hard.

"Get that oxygen mask in place, and I want the line wide open!" One paramedic called out as the other one did what he was told. "Get the paddles ready!"

"Please, God, don't take him away! I still need him! You can't take him away!" I whispered. That tone continued. I hated it.

"Clear!" Kaito jerked with the shock, but the tone continued unabated.

"Kaito, please, come back!" I begged, "Open your eyes! Don't die! Come on, Kaito, come back!"

Kaito jerked with another shock. The tone continued on.

"This isn't good!" a paramedic resumed chest compressions

"You can't go!" I cried out, tears streaming down my face, "Kaito, come back!"

A third shock brought an end to the tone at last.

"He's back." A paramedic said, sounding relieved, "You drive! Get us to Mercy on the double!"

The driver returned to his spot. It felt like we were flying. Kaito opened his eyes again. Those beautiful blue orbs had dulled. He was sweating even more now. I brushed the sweat off his brow. He felt very warm to the touch.

"I think he has a fever." I told the paramedic.

The paramedic pulled out a thermometer. It was the kind that was ran over your forehead "He's at 104.6 degrees. I need to try to cool him down."

The paramedic found a few compresses and placed one under Kaito's neck, one on his forehead, and the final two on his chest.

"We are at Mercy!" the driver parked and Kaito was rushed into the small hospital. I followed, meeting up with Len, and Luka.

 **LUKA**

I was scared. We followed the doctors into a trauma bay. Kaito was moved from the gurney to the bed. He was conscious, his eyes darting around. I moved into his line of sight, which seemed to help. His eyes stopped and settled on me. Rin, Len, and Jodye moved to stand beside me. Doctors move around, shouting orders and tending to Kaito. I realized how skinny Kaito was. This had been going on for a while.

"Any medical information we need to be made aware of?" A nurse asked me.

"He has Meniere's, which is under control due to the medicine he takes, um, Metformin and Celta. He has a bad allergy to Latex too." I answered. I thought for a moment. The plane left at 2:30 PM, and it was 7 PM. The flight would last 10 hours, so they were still in the air.

Kaito drifted out of conscious and back into conscious. I knew that wasn't good. I heard Rin silently praying. Len was by her side. I was worrying. This just couldn't be right. I breathed through my mouth and out my nose in an effort to calm my nerves.

 **KAITO**

My vision blurred and cleared. Agonizing pain rolled through me. My heart felt as if it would explode. The vise around my chest grew ever tighter, and something hard was threaded down my throat. I tried to gag, but again my body refused to listen. Was this Locked-In Syndrome? Air moved through the tube, reaching and forcing my starved lungs to expand. Each breath felt like fire searing my lungs. I was dying, and I knew it. My vision blurred and cleared. I was drifting in and out of conscious. The voices grew more urgent. I felt paddles being applied, and lurched, which brought even more pain. Couldn't they knock me out first? I lurched again.

"Kaito, come back!" Rin screamed, "Please, come back!"

"Don't do this to us!" Len cried out, "You can't die!"

I lurched with the shock for a third time.

"Come on, open your eyes!" Luka was crying.

I fought my way back to consciousness. I had learned sign language on a whim, and it helped me connect to our deaf and hard of hearing fans. Having Jodye dance beside me had been Len's idea, and I had agreed. It would give Jodye the exposure she needed to launch her dance career and help lift the stigma of deaf people are retards.

I lurched a fourth time. All of this shocking could not be good for my heart. Being awake and feeling the shock was pure agony. I gasped through the tube in my mouth, feeling like I was choking.

"He's back." Someone said.

My vision cleared.

"I need all nonessential people out of here!" a male voice ordered, "This is no heart attack!"

"We need to get him packaged up and ready to move! Seaside's waiting for him!" a female voice called out.

"I'm going with him!" the male voice from earlier replied, "Move out!"

"We'll follow!" Luka nodded, "Come on!"

 **LUKA**

We raced to the car and piled in. I made sure to obey the laws of the road even though I wanted to floor it. We reached Seaside and were ushered to a family waiting area. A cardiac nurse came in. She sat down and looked at us before speaking.

"They are having trouble stabilizing his heart. Once he is stable, he is going to be moved to the cardiac care unit. We don't have a diagnosis yet, but I can say that it's not a heart attack." She said.

"What is wrong with Kaito?" Rin asked.

"We don't know yet. We'll know more when the lab results start coming in. I need to go back to the ER. I've been assigned to Kaito, and my name is Gumi. He is in very good hands." Gumi smiled reassuringly at us. After a few moments, she left.

We waited through the night. No one slept. Len paced, Rin alternated between crying and praying, and I mentally scanned the previous days, hunting for clues that something was wrong with Kaito. I had been shocked to see nearly every bone showing through his skin. How had we missed that? People don't become skeletons overnight. This had been going on for at least six weeks. I thought back through those six weeks. Nothing jumped out at me.

"Rin, Len, did you two notice anything off about Kaito over the last six weeks?" I asked.

"I didn't notice anything." Rin answered.

"Wasn't that norovirus going around six weeks ago? Rin had it, and she wanted Kaito to take care of her. I had to sleep in a sleeping bag in Akaito's room for five days. Thankfully, it didn't spread to anyone else other than Gakupo." Len recalled.

"I had to take care of him." I said.

Rin paled, and began crying harder, "I did this!" she sobbed, "I made Kaito get sick!"

"Rin, the norovirus doesn't attack the heart. It is a stomach virus." I explained, "You didn't get Kaito sick, I promise." My cell phone rang. "Hello?" I recognized the metallic voice of the TTY.

"Any news yet?" Jodye asked.

"Nothing yet, except we know this is not a heart attack. How are you holding up? This was to be your big moment, but Kaito got sick on you." I said.

"I'm not mad. I already have a call to dance with Yoholoid." Jodye said, "I couldn't sleep last night so I went online to do some research. I have found several things that could be wrong. First is Eisenmenger Syndrome. Its symptoms fit what happened to Kaito. There is heart cancer, which is a cancer of the heart, which fits some of the symptoms, but not all of them. Finally, there is something called HBD, which stands for Heart Beat Disorder. Basically, it means your heart is shaped wrong. I can't find much information on it, but I did find some symptoms which also fit Kaito's symptoms. I'm going to come in later. I don't live far from Seaside, so I plan to walk."

"I hear Yoholoid is very picky about his dancers. He must have really liked what he saw. Be safe out there." I said, knowing Jodye would be fine. The hospital was practically down the street from the modest house she called home.

"Have you contacted Miku, Akaito, Mieko, and Gakupo yet?" Jodye asked.

"No, not yet. I'm going to do that next." We said our good byes.

 **Queen Sunstar: Up next, we hang with the other half of the band in Seattle, Washington. Akaito, Miku, Gakupo, and Mieko are going to find out what happened to Kaito in the worst way possible. They try to rush home, but all planes are grounded due to a strong windstorm, forcing them to wait days for the winds to calm. No worries, Jodye won't become the focus of the story, something that is common with self-inserts. She is the love interest of Len. She has another part coming up, but then will be pulled back to background status/comfort person to Len. Poor Rin and Luka don't have significant others, yet. I have chapter three completely written, and waiting for Amerella to proof read. Chapter four is nearly done too. Instead of a full manga, I am going to draw a scene from each chapter instead. I'm not confident in my drawing skills just yet. See you Thursday, when chapter 3 will be posted.**

 **PS: Heart cancer and ES are actual heart conditions. HBD is not a real condition. In this story, it is a very rare defect of the heart. It is also known as pear heart because the heart resembles an upside down pear. It kills during the first months of life due to the rupturing of the ventricles because the atriums push way too much blood into them. There are two types. Type II is more common. In this type, your ventricles are normal sized with your atriums being enlarged. Type I is rarer, and more deadly. Your ventricles are undersized while your Atriums are enlarged. There is a possible Type III in which the pear shape of the heart is reversed. The ventricles are enlarged and the Atriums are normal sized. No one has seen a case of it save for an obscure paper in which no one recalls who published it. I already know which of the three I am using. That will be revealed later.**


	3. Finding out

**Queen Sunstar: Chapter three done! I already know what exactly is wrong with Kaito. I did a lot of research and I like the one I picked out. I have decided on song number three for the story. It is called No More, and will appear during a tense moment with Len on Jodye's new iPad. It helps Len truly understand Jodye's internal struggle. That is coming up. After that, Jodye will hang out in the background as Len's love interest. This chapter, enjoy some AkaitoXMiku.**

 **AKAITO**

We entered our suite that would be home for the next six weeks. We were tired from the long flight. I checked my voice mail and for any texts. There was nothing from Kaito, which was not like him at all. I didn't worry about it, knowing that Kaito was being considerate of the 20 hour time difference. Still, he could have sent a text. Miku sidled up next to me as I put my phone down. I pulled her into my arms, my mouth finding hers as we shared a passionate kiss, our tongues getting involved. I showed her with my tongue what I wanted to do to another part of her body.

"Alright, you two, don't go X rated on us." Gakupo just had to ruin the moment. Miku and I pulled away from each other very reluctantly.

"Don't ruin our moment." Miku snarled at the purple haired singer, "I need some loving from my boyfriend."

"Grouchy, today, Miku?" Mieko asked.

"You stay out of this." I cut in before Miku could answer, "We were in the middle of something."

"Jeez you two! Can't you both go without each other for a bit?" Gakupo asked.

"We just went 10 hours without each other because a certain purple haired wise guy over here decided to buy tickets for seats far from each other, and then made us sit apart!" Miku scowled at Gakupo.

"We will be in our room, unpacking." I steered Miku to our room with our luggage.

"Want to bet they are going to do more than unpack?" Mieko asked.

"They totally are not going to unpack. I saw the needy hunger in Akaito's eyes. He is totally going to score." Gakupo whispered back, "We have unpacking to do ourselves."

In the bedroom, Miku and I started to unpack. As I unpacked, I drew out a small black velvet box, knowing what was inside of it. I loved Miku, and I knew she felt the same. It had taken us a while to admit our feelings toward each other. I am pretty sure Kaito was behind the moment that we finally revealed our feelings. I knew he had picked out Thinking Out Loud for a reason. He denied everything of course. I tucked the little box away in my inside jacket pocket of my white long jacket.

"Where is my concert case?" Miku's panic broke into my thoughts. She was searching frantically through her carry-on bag.

"Did you check your suitcase?" I asked.

Miku practically ripped her suitcase open. The case was lying on top of her clothes. She gave a relieved sigh. There was a note on top of the case, and there was no mistaking Kaito's neat cursive ether.

"Who writes in cursive in this time and age?" Miku asked, "It reads, Miku, you left your concert case on your bed. Knowing you, I knew you would forget, so I put it in your suitcase. Have fun. Kaito."

"That's my twin for you." A cold feeling passed over my heart as I said those words. A feeling of something being horribly wrong dug itself a nice hole in my mind. I shook it off quickly. Kaito was fine. I had no need to worry. Tonight, I had plans to propose to my dream girl.

We settled in to catch up on sleep.

A knock broke into our slumber, "Everybody decent in there? We have reservations at Sky City, the revolving restaurant on top of the space needle, and we need to leave now if we are going to make it in time." Gakupo said.

"We'll be right out." Miku and I got up to get dressed. I pulled out a black dress shirt with tight black pants. The long sleeved black shirt sported a V neck. I admit, I borrowed the outfit from Kaito. Miku disappeared into the bathroom to change. I dressed quickly, pulling on my white jacket as Miku returned.

"Well?" Miku twirled. She was wearing a short black dress that had neither sleeves nor straps with black heels. She'd braided her long hair and wrapped it around her head. She looked perfect in my eyes.

"You are so beautiful." I gave her a kiss.

"You look hot yourself." Miku smiled coyly. It took all of my willpower to not throw her onto the bed and take her right there. Another knock sounded.

"You two coming sometime today?" Mieko asked, "I'm starving, and I intend to drink until Gakupo starts looking hot!"

"Hey! I'm right here!" Gakupo snapped, "It didn't take me that long to sweep you off your feet!"

"If you want some action tonight, you better behave."

"Why must you torture me so?"

Miku and I shared a grin as we left the room.

"And here you complained because I kissed Miku in front of you." I teased.

"It was leading to something else, so I put a stop to it." Gakupo shot back.

"Alright you two. Let's go before Mieko starts claiming she is withering away from starvation." Miku was smiling.

We left the hotel and walked toward the space needle. I felt the box in my pocket, and nerves fluttered in my stomach. No, I'm not going to be done in by nerves. I'm going to go through with it. I took a deep breath. Calm thoughts. The same feeling from before flashed through me. No, Kaito is fine. Stop it. You are getting as bad as your own twin. Knock it off. We stepped onto the elevator. Mieko reached out and pulled Gakupo on by the back of his white dress shirt. Mieko had clearly picked his outfit out for him. Otherwise, he'd be wearing his cyber suit and samurai robes. The elevator began to climb. Gakupo looked terrified. He was claustrophobic.

"It is just an elevator." Mieko soothed her boyfriend, "See? Windows. Relax."

The view outside was incredible. The sun was setting in the west, casting red and gold light against the skyscrapers around us. The Puget Sound glittered gold in the dying light. I stifled a shudder. Where dying come from and what is with that feeling? I checked my phone. There was nothing from Kaito. I felt the first pangs of worry.

"Kaito hasn't called, or left a text." I looked up.

"He's probably waiting for you to respond." Gakupo said, "Stop worrying. Kaito is fine."

I wanted to believe those words, but doubt filled my mind. I sent a text to Kaito, letting him know we were safe in Seattle. We entered the restaurant and were seated quickly. We ordered our food, all of us going with seafood dishes. Drinks arrived.

"Now that's more like it." Mieko took a long drink of her wine.

"Make sure she doesn't get drunk this time." Miku sipped at her wine.

"I'll cut her off after two drinks." Gakupo nodded.

"Two? I don't get drunk on two!" Meiko complained.

"That's why I'm cutting you off at two." Gakupo said.

It was show time for me. Nerves flared up as butterflies in my stomach. I took a calming breath. This was it. I was going to go through with it. The only one who knew was Kaito, who had helped me pick the ring out.

"Since we're here, we have to see the observation deck." I said, "Miku, you look a bit warm. Why don't I take you to the observation deck?"

"Let's go. It is a bit warm in here." She stood.

We stepped out onto the deck.

"He's totally going to do it." Gakupo said.

"Totally." Mieko nodded, "He is cute when he is nervous."

"You are right." Mieko gave Gakupo an odd look, "What? I'm bisexual, remember?"

Outside on the deck, Miku and I stood at the rail, watching as Seattle rotated by. Miku looked so beautiful. Again, I had to resist the urge to take her where we stood. I took a bracing breath of the cool evening air. The butterflies decided to invite more friends.

"It is beautiful up here." Miku said.

I placed my hand on top of hers, "But not as beautiful as the vision standing beside me."

"You are too sweet. How did I score such a great guy?" Miku smiled, leaning into me. She shivered as a cool breeze passed by. I took my jacket off and placed it on her. She pulled it closed, soaking up the warmth. I was fine as I was in long sleeves. I had the little box in my pants pocket now.

"I've been thinking. I would like to have someone else perform beside me." Miku's eyes widened. "My wife." I got down on one knee, pulling the box from my pants pocket, "Miku Hatsune, I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You have stolen my heart, and I your willing victim. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else but you. So, I have a question for you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Miku's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. Then those lovely teal eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, yes, I will marry you!" Miku held out her right hand. I slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. The teal diamond in the center, surrounded by a ring of white diamonds looked amazing on her. She flew into my waiting arms. We shared a passionate kiss, my nerves vanishing. Together, we walked back into the restaurant and returned to our seats.

"Well?" Mieko had forgotten her wine. Miku held out her hand. Mieko managed to stifle her squeal, "It's so pretty! I'm so happy for you!" She turned to Gakupo, "So, how much longer do I have to wait?"

"Um…" Gakupo scrambled for words, "I don't know!"

"We've been dating for almost five years." Mieko said, "Is it your fear of losing me, or are you afraid of commitment?" She was totally enjoying watching Gakupo squirm.

"That is enough. Our food is here." I put a stop to Gakupo's torment.

After we ate, we returned to our suite. Miku and I went to our bedroom.

 **MIKU**

It had finally happened, the moment I had dreamed of since my girlhood. I was engaged to the love of my life. I gave him a coy smile. I could see the hunger in his eyes for my body. Very slowly, I began to undress, letting my dress fall to the floor. I strode toward him, adding a light sway to my hips. He lay back on our bed as I crawled on top of him. Our lips met in another kiss.

"Shall we?" He purred throatily.

My answer was to use my teeth to unzip his pants.

Two hours later, we laid cuddled into each other.

"You were amazing as always." I cooed into his ear.

"You too, were amazing." His crimson eyes sparkled, "I didn't know you had that in you."

"Are you decent?" Meiko asked, her voice breaking.

I pulled the blanket up over us, "We're decent!"

Mieko ran in, looking like she'd been crying.

"What is wrong? What did Gakupo do now?" Akaito asked.

"It's not Gakupo!" Mieko found the remote and turned on the TV to the Komo4 news station. On TV, the news anchor had a shocked look on his face.

"I'm sorry, I can't!" He got up and left. A black man and an Asian woman came on, their faces creased with shock.

"What happened?" I asked.

Meiko was crying too hard to speak.

On screen, the black man, Steve Pool, broke his silence.

"I don't normally do this." He said, "But here goes. In Japan, at around 7 PM, Japanese time, a popular singer suffered an apparent heart attack on stage. Here is the clip."

My eyes went wide as the clip began to roll. Kaito and Jodye were dancing together to Bad Apple when Kaito suddenly stopped and grabbed his chest. He folded, his body hitting the stage. Jodye rushed to his side along with Len, who was not in costume. Partitions were hastily set up, blocking our view of the stage.

"Oh my god." I whispered softly, "Isn't 22 too young for a heart attack?"

Akaito had gone as white as the sheet that covered us. Shakily, he picked up his phone. He dialed in a number and waited. I recognized Luka's voice on the other end. I thought at first that we might have woken her until I remembered that 9 PM here was 5 PM the following day there.

"Luka, what happened to Kaito?" Akaito's voice trembled.

"They don't know. They did tell me that this was no heart attack. I heard from Rin that he coded in the ambulance. He coded again in the ER, before he was airlifted to Seaside. He coded the first time after he collapsed. He's been drifting in and out of conscious since. We are with him. He is asleep right now, and his nurse says it is best that we don't wake him. Make sure Miku hears that Len is not in school." Luka explained.

"Why is Len not in school?" I asked as Akaito had set his phone to speaker phone. Gakupo had joined us, and was holding Mieko.

"He got suspended for chewing out his math teacher and making her cry. He is suspended for one week, and then he has two weeks of in school suspension. Rin has agreed to take the bus to school. I'll drop Len off at Seaside then race across town to the high school. I'm holding down the fort, but I need you guys here." Luka explained, "Kaito banned him from performing until his suspension is done, and he has to do a chore list each day."

"We are coming home ASAP. If anything happens, let me know." Akaito was clearly forcing the words out. I could see his tears falling. This had to hurt him badly. His twin needed him, but he was halfway around the world.

"I'll get started on tickets, and call the manager." Gakupo left.

I felt sad too. This just couldn't be happening. It couldn't! On TV, the clip played again. My eyes went wide a second time. Were those Kaito's ribs I just saw? I thought back. Had I noticed anything off about Kaito? Let's see, Rin had that virus and wanted Kaito to take care of her. Could he have gotten it from her? No, Rin had a stomach bug. I knew he would be mad over the Len situation. Could that have triggered it? He was under some stress, his schedule packed with appearances, concerts, and meets and greets with our many fans. Plus he had to take on caring for the twins and Luka. Could a stomach bug mutate and attack the heart? No, Miku, you know enough about viruses to know that isn't possible.

"Luka, how does Kaito look?" I asked.

"He looks like he could easily play the role of Famine in the upcoming Apocalypse movie. He's been fighting a high fever. To tell you the truth, he looks terrible. I know people don't turning into walking skeletons overnight." Luka answered.

"Did anyone notice anything off about Kaito?" I asked, my voice small.

"I had to force him to eat a few times over the last few weeks." Mieko said, "I didn't notice anything."

"Luka, we will see you as soon as we can." Akaito shut the phone off.

Gakupo stormed in, clearly angry. He had his iPad in his hands.

"Rumors are flying around about what happened!" He roared, "They are saying it was an act to get out of performing! That was no act!"

"Did you notice anything off about Kaito?" I asked, "You know there are many rumors about us, Gakupo. It's just rumors, nothing more. You shouldn't get so worked up over it."

"He canceled our usual sparing matches. I thought it was due to his packed schedule. You don't think it was because?" Gakupo didn't finish.

"Have you gotten our tickets and called the manager yet?" Akaito asked.

"I have. The manager was not happy about it but she understood. She had another band open that could take our place. I have our tickets, and we leave tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM." Gakupo answered.

"I never noticed anything was off, except that he started napping during the day." Akaito answered.

"Why didn't we see those red flags?" Meiko yelled, "Something was wrong with our friend, and we didn't even notice! Some friends we are! He could be dying and we didn't notice!" She started crying again. My eyes prickled with unshed tears. All of us knew we would not get any sleep tonight, but we would try. Gakupo and Meiko left for their room. I tried to cuddle with Akaito, but he refused. I understood. His mind was on his brother. I managed to fall asleep somehow.

 _I ran into the hospital, going right to the CCU. Gakupo was standing outside the room Kaito was in. He only shook his head sadly. I heard the twins crying. Luka was trying to provide comfort to them, but she was crying too. I knew, even though I ran into the room. Kaito was dead. Before my eyes, Kaito's hair turned red. His eyes opened to reveal red eyes._

" _Why couldn't you save me!" it was Kaito's voice coming from Akaito's mouth. I gasped in shock._

" _I, I didn't notice!" I tried to hug him, but I was thrown backwards._

I jerked awake gasping. Strong arms pulled me close. I turned my head to see Akaito.

"Nightmare?" Akaito asked, "I managed to get four hours of sleep."

"I dreamed that Kaito died." I began to cry.

"Kaito is a fighter. He will beat this." Akaito whispered softly, "He has to beat this!"

It was only six in the morning, but we got up anyway. We packed, meeting Mieko and Gakupo out in the main room. We left, catching a shuttle to Sea-Tac. Outside, the wind was rising.

"This is not good. This is one of the corridor storms. These storms can last days, even weeks." The driver noted, "You guys look sad. Wait a minute; you guys are part of the Vocaloids. That was one of your own on TV that collapsed. I hope he will be okay." We reached Sea-Tac, and I nearly got knocked over by the wind. Only Akaito's grip kept me from falling. I could tell he was struggling a bit due to his long white jacket flapping behind him. We made it in and Gakupo rushed to the ticket desk. He returned, looking ashen.

"The planes are being grounded due to the wind. We have to wait for the wind to die down before we leave." He explained, "We have a few hours yet before we leave."

"Let's see, it's 9:30 now, so it will be 5:30 there. It's too early yet to call them." I said, "I really hope Kaito is doing okay."

 **Queen Sunstar: Up next, disaster strikes while the four Vocaloids fight to get home. See you next chapter!**


	4. Going Home

**Queen Sunstar: Chapter four is here! We are still with the adult members as they work on getting home. There is some action here. For those faint of heart, I strongly suggest skipping this chapter. I'm not responsible for any heart attacks.**

 **GAKUPO**

With great difficulty, I managed to keep my temper in check. The last thing anyone needed was me going samurai on them. I walked over to the window. Outside, the wind had gotten even stronger. I watched as a branch was ripped off of a tree to sail off into the wild blue yonder. Was this normal for this area?

"Windy day."

I resisted the urge to jump. A girl with long dark brown hair worn in the odango atama style stood next to me.

"This is normal for the corridor. I grew up in Twilight Beach. My name is Tranquility Jones-Hikari. Everyone calls me Quily for short." Quily continued, "You seem sad, and looked like you could use someone to talk to."

"I'm Gakupo Kaumi. I am sad, and also scared." I answered, shaking her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Quily asked, "I'm returning home to Japan. I started out as a foreign exchange student to Japan."

"A member of my band is dying." I began, "His name is Kaito, and he is Akaito's twin."

"You are a Vocaloid. I saw that on the news last night. I'm here with my little brother." At that, a brown haired boy joined Quily, "His name is Lan Hikari. His parents adopted me after I got word that my parents were missing. They were found a week ago, murdered. I came here to identify them, and bury them. Lan came with me to support me." Quily looked outside, "There is a tornado somewhere. Don't worry. Tornadoes that happen here form over the water and due to the shape of the sound, they can't leave to water. They do form over land from time to time, but they aren't really dangerous like the ones in the mid-west. There goes a tree. That's going to leave a mess."

"Yes, on that poor guys car." I put in, enjoying Quily's company.

"I saw what happened to Kaito on the news." Lan broke his silence, "He looked like my twin brother did, three days before he died of HBD. HBD stands for Heart Beat Disorder. It means your heart is shaped wrong. Hubs heart was pear shaped. I think that is what is wrong with Kaito."

"HBD is genetic." Quily said to her brother.

"That's type II. Type I is different. Type I is brought on by heart cancer." Lan explained, "I hope Kaito feels better soon."

"Same here." Quily said, "There is the tornado. Don't worry, that dinky thing won't do anything."

I looked outside, watching as the tiny tornado dissipated. This brought up memories of a younger time in another place, of long hungry days scavenging for food in a destroyed village, of being the sole survivor of an F5 tornado. I refused to think about that time. I'd survived, and I didn't need to dwell on it. My mind wandered to Kaito. Had I not noticed anything? I thought of our last sparring match. I am descended from a long line of samurais. I practiced daily with my beloved katana. I had been surprised to learn that Kaito was an expert sword fighter. He and Akaito had come from a line of ancient English knights. It was Knight versus Samurai, and as much as I want to say I won the match, it was Kaito who won. He was good with a sword. I did hold back, but I held back a bit too much. You can imagine my shock when Kaito revealed he'd held way back to give me a fair chance. We both promised to not hold back when we sparred again.

"There goes another tree." Lan's voice broke into my thoughts, "Off into the wild blue yonder."

"That one is going to hit the sound." Quily said, "And there is tornado number two. It looks to be an F2. We'll live. It's inside the sound. Oh, that's going to leave a mark!"

"Yes, on the dock." Lan said.

"It's gone." Quily replied, "The winds are going to keep at it for at least the next 24 hours."

I turned, "24 hours? I've got a very sick friend I'm trying to get home to."

"Corridor Storms last longer than normal due to the fact there is nothing blocking the wind. I just checked my cellphone app, and they've recorded wind gusts up to 186 kilometers an hour. I've never liked the US system. I hated it." Quily said.

"That's roughly 115 in miles." Lan said.

"I'm trying to get home too. Hopefully, we'll be able to get out during a break in the storm." Quily continued.

"I don't have the time to wait. My friend could die before I get to his side. I'm not the only one. That over there is Akaito, and my friend is the only family he's got left. The two women are Miku and Mieko." I calmed myself. Quily was like me, a stranded traveler. She couldn't stop the storm any more then I could. I paced, trying to burn off my excess energy and my nerves.

 **MIEKO**

I spent my time alternating between crying and worrying. Kaito was too young to have a heart attack. What had I not seen? How did I not see that he was sick? I felt guilt embrace me. I'm the one who was always mothering everyone, always caring for everyone else. How did this pass under my nose? I began to beat myself up mentally. Gakupo sensed my torment and came to me. He had been talking with a teen about the weather outside. I wasn't jealous. Most likely, he was asking if this storm was normal for these parts. Again, I mentally kicked myself. Because of my failure, Kaito was sick. Next to me, Akaito shifted and drew his phone out. I looked at the clock. It was 10:30 AM, which meant it would be 6:30 AM tomorrow for Japan. Before he could dial the number, his phone rang. Gakupo had reached my side and was holding me as we all leaned in closer to the phone. Miku did the same.

"Hello?" Akaito asked.

We heard the sound of crying. My heart leapt up into my throat. Had Kaito already died? I trembled as cold fear rolled down my spine.

"What happened?" Miku asked fear in her voice.

"He's still here!" came Rin's choked voice.

"The three of us have not left the hospital yet. We stayed with Kaito all night. He coded twice during the night, than again early this morning. The doctors have no idea what is wrong with Kaito. All we know is that it is his heart. They are going to run more tests today." Luka sounded like she had been doing some crying herself, "He developed a high fever shortly after being resuscitated this morning. He's not responding to treatment. I need you here!"

"We are trying, Luka." Gakupo said, "There is a bad windstorm, and we have to wait for it to stop."

"I'm so scared! I don't know what to do! They keep asking me questions I have no answers for!" Luka was crying again.

"Calm down." Gakupo told his charge, "Just do the best you can."

"They want to talk about end of life plans for Kaito!"

"Tell them to wait until I get there!" Akaito growled, "We are coming home."

After a few more minutes of trying to calm Luka and the twins down, Akaito went to end the call. Miku stopped him.

"Akaito and I have a special surprise to share with you when we get home." She said, "Everything will be okay."

That seemed to work as the sound of crying stopped.

"What's the surprise?" this came from Rin.

Miku smiled, "You'll see when we get home."

"I can't wait!" Rin squealed.

"I'm so dead, right?" Len asked, "Should I start planning my funeral?"

"We are going to talk about your behavior toward your math teacher after I get home, young man." Miku said.

There was an audible gulp from Len, "Whatever you say, Miku."

"I'm so going to become an only child." Rin quipped.

"I'm so going six feet under." Len added.

"Alright you two." Luka chided, "Len, nice knowing you. I'm feeling better now. I'll handle things here to the best of my ability."

After some good byes, Akaito ended the call. We waited, the wind outside slamming into the building, causing it to rattle. I closed my eyes, praying we'd be home soon. I opened my eyes, watching as the wind wiped debris past the windows. Something large and brown streaked toward the window. Time slowed down. The window shattered in a blast of glass as a large tree branch sailed through it. There was no time to act. Someone yanked me down to the ground. The room was rumbling loudly as what sounded like a train whistle screamed by. Papers, tiles, glass, and other debris flew about. The wind pulled at me like some huge monster was trying to snare me. Faintly, I heard Miku screaming. Her scream cut off suddenly.

As suddenly as it started, it stopped. The silence was deafening. I moved as the person on top of me moved. I found myself staring at the girl Gakupo was talking with earlier.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, "I'm Quily by the way."

"I'm fine." I looked around, "Where is Gakupo?" I caught something purple out of the corner of my eye. Looking, I saw the branch impaled through the wall right where my head would have been. Several strands of long purple hair dangled from it. Fear gripped me, "GAKUPO!"

"Mieko? I'm here!" I felt relief as I heard him reply. I spotted him a few feet away from me, blood oozing from a cut below his ear. "Find Miku and Akaito!"

Shakily, I stood. The place was a disaster. I heard people crying and the building groaned ominously. I spotted a familiar teal pigtail and moved toward it. Pushing some of the debris aside, I found Miku's hand. It was icy cold. I moved more debris aside to uncover her fully. I gasped, reaching out shakily to her neck. I panicked, feeling nothing where her pulse should be. I screamed her name, shaking her.

"Ow!"

I stopped, "Miku?"

"Mieko? Where is Akaito?" The pigtailed girl began to move a bit, wincing, "Nothings broken. I'm okay." She lifted her head, "I'm okay, save for a few bumps and bruises. I'll live.

Quily came over, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really." Miku brushed some debris off of herself so she could stand.

I felt relief. She was okay. Where was Akaito?

 **AKAITO**

When the branch came flying through the window followed by the screaming wind, I started to move toward Miku. Something hard slammed into my right shoulder, pulling me to the ground. I saw a piece of broken tile flying toward Miku.

"Miku! Move!" I screamed desperately, flinging myself at her. A sharp sting spread from my neck up to my ear. I seemed to float above her, our eyes locking together. My body slammed hard onto the floor, accompanied by the sounds of something snapping. Everything went black.

Pain surged through me as I came to. Something pinned me in place. What had just happened? I took stock of my body. Nothing felt broken, just sore. I tried to take a deep breath and tears sprang to my eyes. Scratch off nothing felt broken. Several of my ribs were definitely broken. I would be okay as long as I refrained from deep breaths, and moved slowly. I felt blood dripping down my neck. I tried to move my right arm to lift a piece of floor off of me, but it remained at my side. Using my left hand, I shoved the piece of floor aside. Sitting up, I looked at my right arm. It hung uselessly from my shoulder socket, which was clearly dislocated. My ribs reminded me they were hurt as I managed to claim my feet. Mieko and Gakupo rushed to my side.

"Are you okay?" Mieko asked.

"I am fine, except for some broken ribs and a busted shoulder, and I think I have a cut on my neck. I'll live. Where's Miku?" Fear pierced my heart as I recalled the broken tile, and her scream cutting off.

"Akaito!" Miku was helping a woman tend to a child with a bad cut over her eye.

I staggered toward her. Gakupo slipped under my good arm and helped me to Miku's side. By then, emergency personnel had arrived. Miku clung to me, promptly letting go when I winced. She looked me over. A paramedic rushed over to us. She checked us over.

"This will hurt." she said, her fingers feeling out my bad shoulder, "it's dislocated." She placed a hand on top of my shoulder and the other one on my arm, "I'm going to put it back into the socket." The paramedic held me down. I gulped. She gave a sudden yank to my arm while pressing down on my shoulder. There was a sickening pop as the shoulder slipped back into its socket. I couldn't stop the scream that erupted from me. My ribs protested the scream. "All done." The paramedic felt my rib cage, "You've broken three ribs. Hold on." There was another sickening crunch. I managed to not scream this time. "I had to put a rib back in place. You'll be fine. I'm going to have to stitch that cut up."

"What happened? Did a train do this?" Mieko asked.

"It wasn't a train. An F3 tornado hit. From the reports, it formed in the northern sound and jumped the shore. It traveled almost four hundred miles, dissipating after hitting the Pacific Ocean. Marysville took the brunt of the storm. Thankfully no one died because a girl warned them of it 30 minutes before it struck. Everett took damage, and then it swung out into the sound. Twilight Beach is intact, but damaged. It reached here and moved back into the sound to jump back on land in Tacoma. It moved west, hitting several small towns before reaching the ocean and dissipating. You guys are all going to be okay. I'm going to tape up your ribs." She pulled out a white wrap and had me remove my jacket and shirt. I held up my arms, my bad shoulder protesting, while she wrapped the material around my chest. She pulled my bad arm down and taped it to my chest. Miku helped me get my shirt back on along with my jacket. I was given some pain medication and a water bottle.

"We're not going to be able to leave." Gakupo spoke up, "The runaway is in ruins. That could take days to repair.

I have to get home! My twin brother is dying!" I cried out.

"There is a small airport that escaped damage not far from here. They might be able to help." The Paramedic offered.

"Where is it at?" I asked.

"It is two hours west of here, in Forks, Washington. I'll see if I can arrange a helicopter to take you there." The paramedic placed a call, "A Komo4 news chopper is going to give you a lift. Get your bags, and they will meet you outside."

Gakupo had to carry my suitcase as I had only one useable arm, which held my carry-on bag. We rushed outside and were guided to a helicopter bearing the Komo4 news logo. It wasn't long before we were in the air. There was no talking. My pain level dropped to tolerable as the pain pills I had taken finally took effect. The ride wasn't long, and we landed at the airport. A Learjet was waiting for us. We quickly boarded and the plane took off. We would be home in 10 hours, and I would soon be by my twin's side.

"Hang on, Kaito. I'm coming."

 **Queen Sunstar: Next chapter, we return to the younger members of the Vocaloids as they try to cope without the adults. Luka knows she is in over her head. The Hospital reveals they have called in someone to help Kaito. Jodye has a small part coming up too, and my side plot will be wrapping up. The adults will also finally arrive. Jodye's small part may not happen next chapter, but it will be happening soon. Here is a tiny peek at what is in store.**

 **LEN**

I stared at Rin in shock. Her words hurt me badly. They stung. What made it even worse and even more painful was that she was right. It was my fault Kaito got sick, my fault that he was dying. If I had not chewed out my teacher, he wouldn't be sick. I felt hot tears prick my eyes. Not wanting to show how hurt I was, I ran off, going to the stairs at the end of the hall from Kaito's room and surging up them to the roof. Outside, I sank against a wall, my tears flowing free. I cried hard. The others must hate me for what I did. Rin was right, I was wasted space. I was worthless, and soon, a murderer. I stood and walked toward the railing. Looking down, I imagined the ground embracing me in its painful grasp. It wouldn't hurt for long. Slowly, I stepped up onto the first rail. They were better off without me. I stepped up onto the second rail. Murderers did not deserve to live. I stood on the third and final railing. Rin would be better off without me. I opened my arms and tipped my head back as I prepared to step off the railing. Would I even be missed? Mrs. Shia wouldn't miss me. She'd be overjoyed that I was gone. Miku wouldn't miss me. She'd basically disowned me. Rin wouldn't miss me. She wanted to be an only child. Luka, Akaito, Mieko, and Gakupo wouldn't miss me. I wondered if they even knew I existed some days. Jodye would be the only one who would miss me. My tears continued unabated.

"Good bye, everyone. I won't see you in heaven. I'll be rotting in hell with the rest of my kind." I stepped off the railing.

 **That is all for now. This is coming up soon. I'm not going to reveal anymore. You'll have to wait! See ya!**

 **PS: Chapter five is already done, and chapter six is just about finished. Seven is in the outline stage, and eight is in the brainstorm stage.**


	5. Reunion

**Queen Sunstar: Chapter Five! I assumed I'd be finished with this one by chapter five, but I've still got a long way to go. We are finally going to be introduced to the medical team caring for Kaito, and the band will finally be reunited. Rin and Kaito will provide the POVs here.**

 **RIN**

We were taken to a conference room. Kaito's medical team was there. This couldn't be good. The head of the hospital joined us. I swallowed nervously. I had decided to skip school to stay with Len and Kaito. I had explained the situation to my teachers, who all understood. I had made sure to collect my classwork in the process.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm Monica Davis, Head of the Hospital." Monica spoke first. She had long lavender hair tied in the Odango Atama style with braids that she'd formed into loops.

"I'm Rin Kagamine, and this is my twin brother, Len." I introduced myself.

"I'm Luka Megurine." Luka introduced herself.

"I'm John Greene, Kaito's cardiologist. You can call me John." A man with short green hair said.

"I'm Teto Kasane, Kaito's respiratory therapist." A woman with red hair in curly pigtails went next.

"You know me already. I'm Gumi Greene, and John is my husband." Gumi said, "I'm Kaito's cardiac nurse."

"My name is Oliver Greene. I'm adopted." A young looking boy with blond hair wearing a white eye patch spoke last, "I specialize in end of life care." He saw our confused looks, "I know I look younger than I am. I'm actually 28."

"End of life care? Why?" Len asked, horror on his face, "Kaito's not dying!"

"Do you know what is wrong yet?" Luka asked.

"I don't have answers yet. From the tests I've run so far, I have discovered that he is going into heart failure at an alarming rate. I can't figure out why." John explained, "Kaito is dying. He is not going to get better."

"You are wrong!" I hissed, "Big brother will come back!"

"Rin, please." Luka put her hand on mine. I shook it off. Anger seared through me. How dare they say Kaito was dying! How dare they!

"Gumi and John are good at what they do. However, I have decided to bring in a specialist to try to find answers. His name is Dr. Davis Hart. He is a professor of Cardiology, and if he can't find answers, no one can. He is flying in from Kanto, Japan, and will be here by tomorrow afternoon." Monica responded, "None of us here are giving up. We all are fighting for Kaito. If he tells us he can no longer fight, we will make sure he is comfortable as he passes into the next world. We are doing everything we can."

"I'm here so if the unthinkable happens, we will know what to do. It is up to you what we do." Oliver said.

"You should talk to Akaito, Kaito's twin brother, for that. He is on his way here from Sea-Tac." Luka said.

"That's not good." Teto spoke up, "Sea-Tac got hit by an F3 tornado. Nothing is leaving from there."

"If they were there…" Len didn't finish. We all knew what he was thinking.

Luka's phone rang. She answered it, her eyes lighting up.

"They're okay!" She breathed, setting her phone to speaker phone.

"I'm Akaito Shion, twin brother of Kaito. How is he?" Akaito asked.

"He is not doing well. I'm his cardiac nurse, Gumi Greene." Gumi said, "We are trying to break his fever, but he's not responding to treatment."

"We are in Hawaii, waiting for the plane to refuel. I'll be there in five hours. We are boarding now." Akaito said.

Luka ended the call.

"Can Kaito last that long?" I asked.

"He will. He's got at least a week left." Gumi answered.

"We are still running tests. I've ordered chest X-Rays, an ultrasound of his heart, and when I get the results, we will go from there." John replied.

The door opened as a nurse entered carrying a folder. "Dr. Greene, here is those chest X-Rays you ordered done on Kaito Shion."

"Thank you. Where are we on the ultrasound?"

"He's scheduled in for 6:00 PM. That is the earliest they could get him in."

"That is not good enough. See if they can get him in sooner. I don't care if they have to shuffle patients around to do it. I want results within the hour."

"I'll do my best." The nurse left as John stood and turned on a white screen on the wall. He pulled out the first X-Ray. Teto joined him.

"Everything is looking good." John sounded frustrated.

"This is getting so annoying! It is as clear as day that something is wrong, yet the tests keep coming back ether negative or inconclusive!" Teto resisted the urge to stomp her foot.

John put up the other two X-Rays on the screen. One X-Ray was a side view, and the other was a back view.

"There is nothing here." Teto frowned.

"His stomach is smaller than it should be. That explains his emaciated appearance. He hasn't been eating." Teto turned to the table, "What have you noticed? Anything helps."

We looked at one another.

"I didn't notice anything." I answered.

"Neither did I." Len added.

"I didn't notice anything ether. We are in school all day. Maybe Miku, Gakupo, Akaito, and Mieko saw something." Luka said.

"Wait! Two weeks ago, Kaito didn't help me with my math homework. Akaito said that Kaito wasn't feeling well so he was up in his room sleeping. I called Jodye who talked me through the math homework." I remembered.

"There is something else you should be aware of." Monica broke into the conversation, "Kaito is going to have brain damage from the times he coded."

"What does that mean?" Luka asked.

"That means depending on what got damaged, he may not remember you. He may have to relearn to walk, talk, and do simple tasks, among other things. He may not be able to do anything at all if the damage is severe. He may end up in a vegetative state. I want you to be prepared." Monica explained.

"Did Akaito tell you why Kaito wasn't feeling good?" John asked.

"No." I answered.

"I'll wait until the brother arrives. I do want to explain a few things to you so you'll know what to expect. You have choices here. You can take Kaito home to die in familiar surroundings, or you can let him pass here. If you choose to let him pass here, we'll make sure he is kept as comfortable as possible. He won't feel any pain. There is a third option, euthanasia. Basically, we kill him ourselves. All we will do is give him an overdose of anesthesia, and he'll simply go to sleep. That is all there is to it. He'll be moved into my care, and I'll stay with him until he passes. He won't die alone. I make it a point to stay with my patients until the end. If you choose to take him home, I'll make home visits until he passes. Right now, I have yet to see the signs that he is near the end." Oliver explained.

John stood and went to the white board where he picked up a pen.

"Arrhythmia, fatigue, Malnutrition, Cyanosis, high fever, and failing heart." he wrote, "These symptoms are broad. I need to narrow this down. I've ruled out cancer of the heart, heart attack, and other common causes. I can safely say the horses have been eliminated." Seeing our confused looks, he went on, "We have a saying. When you hear hoof beats, you look for horses, not zebras. Horses stand for the common diagnoses. Zebras stand for the rare stuff. I feel that it is time to look at the zebras."

The nurse from earlier ran in again, "Dr. Greene, they need you in the Cath lab!"

"I'm on my way. Take them to the family waiting room." John rushed out as we followed the nurse back to the waiting room. Luka looked pale.

"I think I know what Kaito must have felt in the moments leading to his collapse. I am so stressed out right now." She replied, "I think I'm having a panic attack." She began to do her breathing exercises while Len gave her a back rub.

I moved toward the window. It had turned to night outside. I looked at the clock and made some calculations. Akaito and the others would be here in three hours. I wondered what Akaito must be feeling and tried to imagine Len in Kaito's place. I would be an emotional mess. Clearing my mind, I looked over at Len. He still had three days left of his out of school suspension to go through. When Miku got here, he was so going to get it. Mad Miku was just plain scary, but mad Kaito was way worse. His voice would go so soft that you had to lean in close to hear what he was saying. The last of the sunlight faded away as our home town lit up with lights. It looked beautiful. I turned away.

"I wish they would tell us what is wrong." Len said after a while.

"What ever happened, it must be taking a while to fix." Luka looked worried, "We can't lose Kaito."

"You know, Jodye is a godsend. She's been taking care of us." Len responded, "How is she holding up?"

Another hour slid by. I felt bored. What was going on? Why was it taking so long? I wished again the others were here. They would be here in another hour. John came in. It looked like he had been working really hard, and blood soaked his green scrubs. We stood.

"It's not good. Kaito started bleeding inside his heart, which caused a tamponade. I was able to correct it, but shortly after, he coded on us. It took us 45 minutes to bring him back. His heart is in very poor shape right now. He's in room 5A of the CCU. You may go see him." John updated us. We took off.

 **KAITO**

My eyes opened slowly. I blinked as my vision cleared. Everything hurt. I felt like a steam roller had parked on top of me. I could hear a steady beeping off to my right. A mask covered my nose and mouth. Breathing hurt. I was lying in an elevated position. The door opened as the twins and Luka walked in. They all found and brought chairs over to my bedside.

"They are coming home." Luka broke the silence.

I knew who 'they' were. Akaito was probably going to kill me himself.

"Why didn't you say something to us? We know this has gone on for a while." Rin spoke the next question. I knew they wanted an answer.

"I didn't say anything because I didn't realize anything was wrong, at first. I just assumed my busy schedule was wearing me down. I started to realize something was wrong when I started throwing up after eating. I was planning to go see the doctor, but I couldn't find the time. Rin got sick and wanted me to take care of her. She wasn't the only one throwing up. I threw up a few times myself. The thought of food made me feel sick. I thought maybe I had a bit of a bug that would clear up in a few days. The morning of the concert, I felt much better. I managed to keep half a piece of toast down despite the nausea that followed. I was thinking about calling the concert off for days, but I felt well enough to perform. I didn't mean to ruin Jodye's big moment." I explained, my voice muffled by the mask.

"She is not mad. When you coded on the stage the first time, she got you back. She already has an audition with Yoholoid." Len explained, "We've been worried sick about you."

"I'm not going anywhere." I promised.

"I have a question. Remember the night you didn't help me with my math homework? Akaito told me you didn't feel well and were sleeping. You didn't come down for dinner. What happened?" Rin asked.

"I'd spent the afternoon throwing up. By 4:30 PM, I pretty much passed out. Akaito refused to leave me alone. He did get me to try to eat, but it didn't stay down." I explained.

"Don't mind me. I'm just collecting the printout from the EKG." A green haired nurse entered the room, "I'm Gumi, and I've been taking care of you. I also want to check your temperature. You've been running a fever." Gumi drew out a thermometer, "This kind is run over your forehead." She ran it over my forehead, "Well, your fever seems to be going down. You are at 101.2. When you came in, it was over 105 degrees. It seems the medication is finally working." She went and collected the printout, "Your heart beat is looking more normal. It looks like the crisis has passed."

"Do you know what is wrong yet?" Luka asked.

"Sadly, we don't. We'll have more lab results tomorrow, and hopefully we'll find more clues." Gumi said, "Hopefully Dr. Hart will recognize what is wrong."

At that exact moment, Akaito, Miku, Gakupo, and Mieko rushed into the room. Luka flung herself into Gakupo's arms. The twins both hugged Miku. All four of them crowded around my bed. Each one had looks of relief mixed with fear. Miku hugged me.

"Oh thank god you are okay." Akaito replied, "I've been worried about you."

"Someone could have called us. We found out what happened on the news." Mieko turned to face the twins and Luka.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Gakupo asked.

I explained a second time. I noticed that Akaito was moving stiffly, his arm in a sling, and a bandage on his neck. "What happened to you?"

"We got caught in an F3 tornado at Sea-Tac. We're fine. I have three broken ribs, a cut on my neck, and a busted shoulder, but I'll live." Akaito explained.

"You said you had a surprise for us." Len said.

Akaito smiled as Miku joined him. Miku held up her left hand. Len stared, completely clueless. Rin and Luka spotted the ring, and somehow managed to hold off their squeals.

"He proposed!" Luka had tears running down her face.

"He what? Ow!" Len found himself being dragged over to Miku by his ear, courtesy of Rin. His eyes went wide upon seeing the ring. "Miku, you and Akaito? Does this mean Akaito is going to become our other legal guardian?"

"Yes, and yes." She turned to my bed and held out her left hand.

"He did do it after all." I replied, "I'm happy for the two of you."

"Wait, you knew, didn't you?" Luka spun to face me.

"Guilty as charged. I went with Akaito to find the ring." I smiled.

My eyes were growing heavy. I would have to sleep soon.

"Does that mean we will have to change our last names?" Rin asked.

"Yes, you will have to change last names." Miku said, "I'm going to be a Shion!"

"Len Shion. I'm not so sure about that." Len said.

"Rin Shion. I like it." Rin added, "I do want to keep Kagamine, as it is my only link to my parents."

"How about Rin Kagamine-Shion?" Akaito offered.

"I'm doing the same." Len decided.

Gumi returned, "It is time for you all to leave. Kaito needs to rest."

"I'm staying here." Akaito responded.

"I'm staying with him. The rest of you can leave." Miku decided.

"I'll bring in a spare bed." Gumi left. The others all left.

"I don't need babysitters." I broke the silence.

"I'm not leaving you alone. We are family, and family sticks together." Akaito replied.

Gumi brought in the spare bed along with some blankets and pillows. She checked the monitors connected to me, pausing on the machine measuring my respiratory rate. "That is a little low." She turned up a dial, allowing more oxygen to flow into the mask, "I'm going to send Teto in to take a look at you."

As if she'd heard her name, Teto came in. She listened to my lungs as I breathed as deeply as the vice still squeezing my chest would allow.

"I know, it hurts. I'm almost done. One more deep breath, as deep as you can manage." Teto instructed. I did as told, but it hurt, a lot. It felt like sharp knives slicing into my lungs. Teto turned to check the numbers on a machine. She turned back to me, "your respiratory rate is elevated, 25 breaths a minute. I am a little concerned. I'm going to make a few adjustments, but I want you to breathe more slowly." More oxygen flooded into my mask. I breathed more slowly, "Breathe a little deeper than that. Like that. I know, it hurts. I'm going to give you a little something for the pain." Teto left, and returned. She added something to one of my IVs, and my pain dulled. Exhaustion weighed down my eyelids.

"Go ahead and sleep. We'll be right here." Miku encouraged, "You need to sleep."

I didn't need to be told twice.

 **Queen Sunstar: Next chapter, the stress leads to fighting. Miku and Len will have POVs. I'm having fun with this. I needed a story to flow freely. My novel is still stuck in place. I am a professional author and writing is something I love. I'm doing well with my self insert. Jodye is not hogging the spotlight, a big problem with self inserts. She is not sticking out like a sore thumb, another big problem of self inserts. Feel free to leave reviews! I accept whatever you throw at me, be it a flame, a rave review, or criticism. If you do choose to flame, tell me why. I can't improve if you only say I hate this.**


	6. Strife

**Queen Sunstar: Miku and Len provide the POVs. Enjoy!**

 **MIKU**

I watched as Kaito went to sleep. I closed my eyes, reliving the tornado. I had seen the broken tile flying at me. I had thought for sure I was going to die. Someone had crashed into me, shoving me to the ground. Debris had rained down on me. I recalled blacking out, and coming to being shaken by Mieko. I still felt a bit sore from the debris piling on top of me. Thinking, I again recalled the broken tile. It had not struck me. It all clicked. Akaito had dove over me, the tile striking his neck. His act had saved my life. I loved him even more now. He would bear a crescent shaped scar below his ear as his mark of love toward me. We settled onto the twin sized bed, the only bed small enough to fit in Kaito's room. It was a bit of a squeeze, but we managed. I nestled my head on Akaito's chest, listening to his heart beat. He curled his good arm around me. I felt him wince.

"Oh sorry." I moved my head to the pillow.

"It's okay. That wasn't my ribs, that was my shoulder." Akaito smiled.

"Are you laying on it?" I sat up, "I can go sleep in a chair if you want."

"I'm fine, Miku. Stay beside me. I'm quite comfortable actually." He said.

I lay back down, careful of accidently bumping his ribs or shoulder. Tired, not to mention jet lagged beyond belief, we fell asleep quickly.

It was the sound of retching that woke us. We both sat up quickly to see Gumi holding a tub under Kaito's mouth as he vomited, his body shaking with the effort. Akaito was by his side in an instant. I hung back, staying out of the way.

"It's the medication he's on. It causes nausea, and it seems the antinausea medication isn't working. I'm going to call John and request a change in medication. I almost didn't get the tub to him in time, hence why I'm wearing some of his vomit." Gumi explained, "It's okay. This is normal. Feeling better yet, Kaito?"

"No…" Kaito groaned.

I could see his tears. He must be feeling miserable. He lay back against the pillow with a soft moan of pain. He was sweating, his bangs plastered to his forehead. He was nearly as white as the sheet covering him. Akaito reached out and gently placed a hand on his brother's forehead. Gumi drew out her thermometer and took Kaito's temperature.

"Dang it!" she muttered, "It's 104.5. I'll be right back." She left and returned, followed by Teto. They were carrying ice packs.

"We need to get him cooled down. This fever has gone on long enough." Teto set her load of ice packs down and took two from Gumi. She lifted Kaito's head and slid one under his neck while placing the other one on his forehead. Gumi laid hers out over Kaito's body. "Hopefully, this works because the medication is not working."

The night wore on. Akaito and I stayed up with Kaito, me holding the tub when needed, Akaito switching out ice packs as needed. By four in the morning, Kaito's fever had dropped down to 99 degrees. By 6 in the morning, Kaito had gone to sleep. Akaito and I dosed in the chairs, our eyes on Kaito. He still looked terrible, but his rest was peaceful. Hopefully, this meant that he was finally on the road to recovery. Mieko arrived around 9 AM, having dropped Rin off at school. Luka was using Kaito's car. She was alone.

"Gakupo is coming in later with Len, once Len finishes his chores." Mieko said, "You two look like you've been up all night."

"We were." I pried my eyes open, "Kaito had a rough night."

"I didn't know it was possible to be this tired." Akaito groaned, not bothering to open his eyes.

A nurse came in and checked over Kaito, "Rough night? I'm Ann, and I'm also a cardiac nurse. I'm going to be taking care of Kaito today. Gumi will be back tomorrow. We work in 24 hour shifts. You two need sleep. Come with me. We have rooms for family to catch up on sleep in."

Akaito started to protest, but Mieko cut in before he could, "You two won't be able to help if you pass out. Go on, I'll watch over him."

We both rose and followed Ann with no further complaints. We entered a room and basically fell into the bed. We both were out before our heads hit the pillow.

 **LEN**

This was cruel and unusual punishment. I was cleaning the bathrooms, and it wasn't just one or two bathrooms ether. It was every single one of them. I started in the basement. After I finished cleaning a bathroom that I swore had not existed before, I moved up to the main floor. Besides cleaning bathrooms, I had to take out the trash, sweep and mop all hard wood floors, wash all windows, inside only, and clean all bathrooms. That was three floors worth of bathrooms, too. I had already finished everything else. As soon as I was done, Gakupo and I would go to the hospital to see Kaito. I sighed. I had brought this on myself. Finishing another bathroom, I moved on. Let's see, Miku and Akaito shared a room with their own bathroom, Kaito had his own bathroom, and I'd just finished the main bathroom. I knew there were two bathrooms on the third floor.

Me and my stupid mouth. My grade was unfair, but I should not have gone off on Mrs. Shia. Why was I the only one who could see her for the monster she was? She was going to drive Jodye to suicide if she kept up the verbal abuse. Didn't she know how much her words were hurting the deaf girl? Anger rose within me. If Jodye did commit suicide, I would make sure the world knew why. Mrs. Shia would pay dearly for her actions. I would not buy any excuse from that she-devils mouth. I would make her tell the world what she did and give a public apology. I would make sure she never taught another kid again. I would-

"Len, I highly doubt you can get that tile any cleaner."

I shot into the air with a surprised yelp. I spun to snap at whoever had surprised me, but it was only Gakupo.

"Geez, don't sneak up on me like that!" I snapped, "I'm fine. I was thinking about a friend who is having trouble with a teacher."

"You mean Jodye?" Gakupo asked, "If you want to talk, I'll be happy to listen."

I heaved a sigh, "Fine, but can we go sit somewhere more comfortable?" We went out into the living room and sat down. Gakupo waited for me to speak. "You know why I am in trouble. I called out Mrs. Shia on her horrid behavior. Thing is, I'm very worried about Jodye. You don't see the suffering she goes through on a daily basis. We are her only friends. She is bullied relentlessly by our peers, and Mrs. Shia is verbally abusive to her. I don't think I've ever heard Mrs. Shia call Jodye by name. I'm afraid, Gakupo. I'm afraid that Jodye will kill herself before the year is through. I want to save her, but I don't know how. I've tried to protect her, but it cost me and Rin friends. Why can't they see past Jodye's hearing loss? They are missing out on a great friend. Jodye was the one that got me, Rin, and Luka through the last few days after Kaito got sick."

"You know there is a stigma about deaf people. They say that deaf people are retards. We know that is not true. Jodye can hold her own against Kaito in a math tournament, and you know how good at math Kaito is. She is far smarter then she lets on. It amazes me that Jodye can dance so well and I enjoy watching her dance. When she dances, the real Jodye comes out. She looks so happy and free. The best thing you can do is be there for her. Be her rock, Len." Gakupo replied, "Jodye needs you to be strong for her just like she has been strong for you."

"Thanks for listening, Gakupo. How can I be there for her when I'm not there?" I asked.

"You may not be there physically, but you are there in spirit. Now, go finish up the bathrooms." Gakupo said.

I stood and went to do so. As I cleaned, I felt waves of terror wash over me. My head snapped up. Rin was in trouble. Dropping the mop, I ran to find Gakupo. I heard a phone ringing. Gakupo stepped around the corner, a phone against his ear. He spotted me.

"Rin's in trouble!" I cried out.

"Len, we need to go to the hospital. Rin is on her way there." Gakupo put the phone down, "There was a fight, and Rin tried to protect Jodye."

I was already running to the car. We rushed to the hospital in record time. We were directed to a trauma bay where Rin was laying curled up on the bed. She had a bruise forming around one eye and was clutching her chest. There was another bruise forming on her shin. Rin sat up painfully, her body hutched over. I went to Rin and tried to hug her.

"Ow!" Rin gasped, trying to pull away.

"Sorry, Rin. What happened?" I asked.

"It started in math class." Rin started.

"Wait. Tell Miku and Akaito later." I told her, knowing she would have to talk to a cop.

"Jodye is fine, Len. Ow! I think I broke a rib. Moving hurts." Rin saw my worried and angry look.

I pulsed with anger, "I've had enough of that sorry excuse of a teacher! We are pressing charges against those kids, and against her!"

A doctor entered and began examining Rin. She was taken to X-Ray. He turned to us.

Rin may have broken ribs and a broken leg. I'm ordering a CT scan to make sure her brain is okay." He said, "I take it you plan to press charges?"

"Yes." I answered.

"Okay. I will make a report, and call the cops." He said.

Rin returned. The doctor took the X-rays and put them up on a light board. Rin's X-rays showed two broken ribs and a long crack in her fibula. While Rin got tended to, I stewed. This was the last straw. I was done biting my tongue. Nobody beat my sister and lived to tell the tale!

Rin had her injuries photographed and had her ribs taped up. A splint was put on her leg and she was given crunches to use. She would not be performing Saturday at the Sky Mall. Together, we went up to the CCU and entered Kaito's room. Kaito was sleeping, and Mieko made it very clear that we were not to wake him. She was all over Rin, making her sit in a chair and prop her leg up. Akaito left to go fill Rin's prescription for pain pills. When he got back, Rin took her pain pills.

I turned my attention to Kaito. His rest was peaceful. Maybe he had finally turned the corner and was getting better? I reached out and took his icy hand into my own. The fingers were tinted blue on a white background. The blue was the most noticeable around his fingernails, and I knew it wasn't because of his blue nail polish. Teto had explained that the blueish tint I was seeing was due to something called Cyanosis, which meant Kaito's blood wasn't carrying enough oxygen.

I was bored. Gakupo leaned against the wall. Mieko was in a chair, reading a magazine. I thought about the school work I knew was piling up. When I started my in school suspension, I would be in the suspension room, a room in Principal Lan's office the size of a broom closet. It held a desk only. I should have brought that book we were reading in English. I remembered how we had run short of books, so that one girl asked if it was okay if she used her own book, pulling said book from her bag. We were reading a novel called Wings. I had expected it to be torture, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book. Wings told the story of a band of eight musicians that fought evil together. We were at the part were their leader had been captured by the bad guy. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The day dragged on. Kaito woke briefly, but he wasn't lucid. After another dose of morphine, he went back to sleep. Miku and Akaito finally rejoined us, looking refreshed. Akaito took my spot by Kaito while Miku worried over Rin and Jodye. Hopefully, she'd forget and I would be spared. No such luck.

Miku turned to face me, and without one word, proceeded to drag me out of the room and into the family waiting room. She was mad. I knew my life was over.

"Len, I know you hate your teacher, but was it truly necessary to blow up on her?" Miku asked.

"No, I should have held my tongue. I'm already being punished. I'm not allowed to perform with everybody else on stage until my suspension is done, both in and out of school suspensions. Something needs to be done about Mrs. Shia. Rin got hurt because Mrs. Shia refused to break up the fight. She is putting us in danger, and you should see how she treats Jodye. No, let me talk. I am sure Mrs. Shia has never used Jodye's name in class. It's always retard. Just because Jodye is deaf, she shouldn't have to suffer like she has. I swear, I never said a single swear word. I only called Mrs. Shia out on her actions. She cried because I stood up to her, Honest. I'm going six feet under, right?" I asked, my head low.

"Miku sighed, "Len, I'm not going to punish you further. Kaito has already taken care of that. Why won't you come and tell me you are having problems? Why do you keep trying to keep things to yourself? I'm your legal guardian, I can help you. I will deal with this later. Right now, I'm too worried about Kaito at the moment. Something tells me Jodye hasn't said a word of this to them."

"She hasn't. Her parents are archeologists, and they have left for a dig." I explained.

"Does she have siblings?" Miku asked.

"She has a mentally disturbed sister who lives at a mental hospital, and a brother who committed suicide. She is alone. I think she might be self-harming herself. I worry about her. I know she is thinking about suicide, and this may be the straw that broke the camel's back." I explained, "Mrs. Shia needs to be stopped. Jodye can't keep going on like this. I can't go on like this anymore ether. Miku, please, help me."

At that moment, a cop joined us. He was clearly a Shion.

"I will help you. What you did shouldn't have happened, but I understand why you did it. Let me take over, okay?" Miku rose, "I'll get Rin." She left and returned with Akaito and Rin. Akaito sat beside Miku. Rin found a seat.

"I would like to know what happened." Akaito started, "I worry about you too. Let me into the loop. I'll do what I can to help. This is one of my million or so cousins, Zaito."

"That's detective to you, Akaito." Zaito smiled, "Rin, tell me everything."

"It started in math class. Mrs. Shia was in rare form, tormenting and verbally abusing Jodye relentlessly. She called Jodye up to the board to show how to solve a math problem. A guy in the front row tripped her. He and his friends laughed at her, and the kid on the other side kicked Jodye hard. Mrs. Shia did nothing. Jodye made it to the board and solved the problem easily. On her way back to her desk, she had to dodge several flying pencils. One of them got her in the head. She got back to her desk. After class, we walked toward the cafeteria for lunch. We never made it there. The kids that had called out the taunts on Jodye found us. They said rotten things like how retards belonged in mental hospitals, and how Jodye was giving the school a bad name just by attending. One guy kicked her in the shin, hard. I stepped in and told them off. They turned on me. I got kicked in the ribs twice, and one of them slammed me into a locker. I saw Mrs. Shia watching. She did nothing to stop the fight. In fact, she turned and walked away. We were saved by one of the cheerleaders, who got Principal LanThey started taunting Jodye, so I told them to stop. It got physical after Jodye told them she was glad they liked her enough to want to spend time with her. One boy threw a punch that got Jodye in the shoulder. A girl grabbed her hair and started kicking her. I told them to stop it. Another girl attacked me along with a boy. As I was being hit, I saw Mrs. Shia looking at us. She gave a little smile and walked away. I screamed at her to help, but she didn't listen. I ended up on the floor, someone stomping on my leg. I thought for sure I was going to die. I am so thankful the cheerleaders arrived. They started pulling kids off of us and one of them got Lan. Another girl helped me up. They stayed with us until Lan came. One of them asked if we needed 911 and made the call. I were brought here, and treated for my injuries." Rin explained.

"I am shocked." Miku sat back, "I am going to do something about this. Changes are coming, and your teacher will be lucky if she still has a job when I'm through!"

"I'm with you, my love." Akaito's eyes were burning, "This stops today! I am going to talk to both your principal and that teacher!"

"Cool it you two. Leave that to me. Rin, I need you to write down everything you have told me. I will get to the bottom of this. I promise." Zaito promised.

 **Queen Sunstar:. Next chapter, we meet Dr. Hart, and find out what is wrong with Kaito.**


	7. Diagnosis

**GAKUPO**

I leaned against the wall, my gaze on Kaito. He looked terrible. I didn't think someone could be so white. It made the blue around his lips and finger nails stand out even more. His skin had started to take on a bluish tint. I noticed that he was starting to swell mainly in his legs. Dr. Greene was still hunting for a diagnosis and I prayed one would be found so Kaito could get the treatment he needed and start recovering. It did hurt to see him like this. It also hurt that there was nothing I could do for him. I knew we all were wishing we could take his place. I looked up as the door opened.

A tall man stepped into the room. He had blue eyes and long blond hair tied back with a ponytail. He wore jeans and a red long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Red boots completed his look. I'm tall, and this guy stood a full head taller than me.

"I'm Dr. Hart, Davis. You are?" Dr. Hart introduced himself.

"I'm Kaumi, Gakupo, and that is my girlfriend, Sakine, Mieko. Hold on a second." I left and returned with the others, "This is Shion, Akaito, and his future wife, Hatsune Miku. This is Megurine, Luka, and these two are Kagamine-Shion, Rin and Len." I introduced everyone.

"In the bed is my twin brother, Shion Kaito." Akaito supplied, "Do you know what is wrong?"

"I don't know yet for sure, but I do have several suspects. I have ordered several tests to be run, and while on the train this morning, I poured over Kaito's file. The first test is a TEE, which stands for Transesophageal Echocardiogram. This will allow me to see the heart. Next, I am going to take him to the Cath lab so I may see exactly how the heart is functioning. Both tests have been scheduled." Dr. Hart walked over to the echocardiogram and collected the latest printout, "Hmm, he has an arrhythmia going on." He turned to Kaito, "Cyanosis," He put his hand against Kaito's left leg, "Edema," He turned to us, "I made a point to watch the clip of his collapse a few times. I saw angina, which is chest pain. Has he had any fainting spells, headaches, fatigue, coughing up blood, palpitations?"

"He's been dealing with fatigue." Akaito answered, "He's been throwing up too."

"He does have Meniere's." Rin supplied.

"It's a no to coughing up blood, fainting spells, palpitations, and headaches." I explained.

"Yes on headaches. Over the last six weeks, he suffered through five bouts of his Meniere's, which is abnormal." Akaito added.

"Hmm, I have a hunch I know what is wrong. I'll know for sure after I get the test results. Oh hello, Ann. Are they ready for him in the Cath lab?" Dr. Hart already knew what the tests would confirm. "You may head out to the family waiting room, unless you would like to come and see the results as I get them."

"I'll come!" Len said.

"Me too!" Rin said.

"I'll go with them, keep them out of trouble." I decided.

We followed Dr. Hart, who was wheeling the bed Kaito was in. We entered the Cath Lab. Dr. Hart picked up what resembled a long flexible tube. Ann prepared an injection.

"This is to relax him and prevent gagging." Ann explained, "It will help keep him asleep while we perform the test."

"See this tube? This is an endoscopy tube. On the end of it is a transducer. See this monitor? That will show me the heart." Dr. Hart explained, "First, we prop open his mouth." Ann inserted two curved blocks that resembled thick Pringles into Kaito's mouth. Rin couldn't help but giggle. Dr. Hart threaded the tube down Kaito's throat, the images appearing on the monitor. He reached the spot he wanted. "His heart is enlarged. The left ventricle is far larger than the right one. I suspect we will find a shunt, also known as a hole in the heart. I see the accumulation of fluid around his lungs." Dr. Hart withdrew the tube and Ann removed the blocks. She put Kaito's mask back over his mouth.

Dr. Hart prepared a dye and injected it into Kaito's leg. He inserted a thin wire and worked it up into the heart. We watched as blood flowed through Kaito's heart. Right away, one could tell something was wrong. I looked at Dr. Hart.

"I know blood is not supposed to do that." Rin said.

"Just as I thought. There is a shunt between ventricles. That proves my hunch. I'll explain in a few minutes after I finish up here. Go wait for me in the family waiting room." Dr. Hart shooed us out. We returned to the family waiting room to wait. Dr. Hart came and took us to another room where we all took seats around a table. We waited.

"Akaito, did Kaito ever suffer from a heart murmur growing up?" Dr. Hart asked.

"He did. It was closely monitored until he turned 10. His cardiologist died, and he was supposed to see a new one, but we were never called." Akaito answered.

"I have a diagnosis. The childhood heart murmur was a symptom. I suspect the cardiologist he had been seeing had suspected something was up, but died before they could follow through. All of Kaito's symptoms point to a syndrome called Eisenmenger Syndrome. It tends to strike in the second or third decade of life, and victims of ES never live beyond their third decade. What happens is there is a hole in the heart. At first it is small. Over time, the left ventricle becomes enlarged, forcing more and more blood into the small right ventricle. This leads to the hole growing larger. Eventually, the heart stops functioning normally and you develop ES. Kaito's heart murmur tells me there was a small shunt. That shunt has gotten bigger. I've requested an OR, and as soon as one is open, I'm taking Kaito through open heart surgery to close the shunt. Due to the enlargement of his heart, I fear this is only a temporary solution." Dr. Hart looked at each one of us, "Kaito needs a heart transplant, and soon. He is in full heart failure."

"Will he be able to keep performing?" Miku was squeezing Akaito's hand comfortingly.

"I'm afraid his career as a performer is done." The words hung in the air. We all stared in shock at the doctor, horror written on our faces. Kaito, never being able to perform again? He lived for the stage! He was the happiest on stage, singing and dancing for everyone! He came alive on stage! This was like telling a song bird to never sing again!

Miku turned and hid her face against Akaito's chest, crying silently. The Kagamine twin's mouths hung slightly open. Mieko had a hand against her mouth. Akaito looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights. I knew shock was written on my face. Luka fought tears. She turned as I put my arm around her. It wasn't long before I felt her crying.

"That… that's not…" Len tried to force out the words.

"After he has his transplant and recovers, would it be possible for him to perform then?" Rin asked.

"It might be possible then, but until we can get a heart, his career is done." Dr. Hart hated the fact he had to say that. He knew Kaito's heart was not strong enough anymore to handle the demands of a performing career.

"Kaito once told me that if he couldn't perform anymore, he would go into a career teaching math." Akaito whispered softly.

"Too bad he can't teach our math class." Rin said.

At that moment, the door flew open as Ann ran in.

"Doctor, they need help in 5A! He's gone into cardiac arrest!" She called out, "I'll get them to the family waiting room!"

We all took off.

 **MIEKO**

We waited. Akaito was the worst one to watch. He looked broken, tears streaming down his face. His twin, his other half, was fighting for his life. This had to hurt.

"Why couldn't have been me?" Akaito whispered, "WHY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ME? WHY?"

The hurt and grief in his voice was almost too much to bear. I was crying again. Miku clung to her fiancé, tears flowing freely down her face. I heard a muffled cry. Turning, I saw Gakupo, head in his hands, shoulders shaking. Len was holding Jodye, the two of them crying too. Luka and Rin were hugging each other. They both were crying too. Kaito was the glue that held us together. Without him, would any of us be able to continue our careers? I knew that if Kaito died, my career would be done. There was no way I would be able to get on stage again.

"D-dancing bears, p-painted wings… I can't!" Luka tried to sing, but gave up.

"I will not sing again until Kaito is able to join me in duet once more." Akaito replied.

"I don't have the will to sing anymore." Miku leaned into Akaito's side.

The door opened as Ann came through. She took a seat and looked at each one of us.

"We got him back." She said, "Dr. Hart has decided he can't wait for an OR to open. He fears the shunt has gotten larger. He needs to get in now to try to repair it. They are in surgery right now. It will be a few hours until it is done. We are doing everything we can. We have put Kaito on the heart transplant list, but it could take years for a heart to become available. Dr. Hart is the best of the best." Ann explained, "I should know as he is my husband."

"Kaito will get through this, right?" Akaito asked.

"That depends on Kaito, alone. If his will is strong enough, he could very well beat this. I want you all to be prepared to say good bye should it come to it. Sometimes, no matter what you do, they slip away and pass into the next world." Ann explained.

"I want your honest opinion. Will Kaito survive?" Akaito pressed.

Ann sighed, "Considering his current state, I don't think he will make it."

"You are so wrong. Kaito is far stronger then you will ever know." Len narrowed his eyes, "I've seen him come back from an injury that by right should have left him crippled. In fact, it should have ended his career as a performer. He was told he would never dance again and it would take a miracle to get him walking again. Within six weeks, he was walking. Two weeks later, he was dancing. He will beat this."

"Len is right. I know Big Brother will survive." Rin added.

"He may be down, but don't count him out just yet." Gakupo said.

"Trust me; you will end up eating your words." Luka added.

"I've seen him go from sicker than a dog in the morning to eating pizza by night." Miku replied, "This is nothing."

"Keep believing. I have seen the impossible happen." Ann smiled at us, "I've got to do my rounds. I'll come get you as soon as Kaito is cleared to have visitors." She left.

"I don't know what I would do if Kaito dies." Akaito broke the silence, "He has always been there for me. After we lost our parents, Kaito and I were put in student housing. Kaito made sure we stayed together. He was two years away from finishing college. I was a year away from finally finishing high school. We have never truly been apart since birth, well, since conception. Sure, we have spent nights away from each other, but we knew the other was always there. Without Kaito, I'm lost."

"Rin and I can tell when the other is in danger. We can even find the other too. I remember way back when Rin got separated from her scout troop and got lost. I found her two hours into the search. It was weird. I knew where she was." Len said, "I've always wanted to ask if it was like that with you and Kaito?"

"It is." Akaito nodded, "Like you, we too can sense when the other is in danger. Even though the world's largest ocean separated us, I knew Kaito was in danger. I kept shaking it off, but now, I wish I hadn't. We sometimes can read each other's thoughts. We can't feel the others pain, nor do we have our own language. We can't talk mentally ether. We each are perfect halves of a whole."

"I've lost count on how many fanfictions I've found where the four of you have special twin powers." I said, "There is one called Sieshin Ookami that I'm currently following. That author out to write novels."

"What is Sieshin Ookami about?" Miku asked.

"It is about how a spirit wolf named Kaito and his guardian, a dire wolf named Gakupo patrol the city at night to keep the evil wolves, mist wolves, at bay. People vanish, Len among them. Kaito finds a mist wolf puppy and goes for the kill only to freeze upon seeing Len's eyes. Gakupo says it is a mist wolf trick, and the puppy must die. Kaito refuses, and the puppy tells them he really is Len. He says he has been having dreams of a giant wolf swallowing the sun. Kaito recognizes the symbolism of the dreams. I'm at the part where Kaito is about to face down Dusk, Alpha of the mist wolves." I explained, "The author is Vocaloid9."

 **AKAITO**

Listening to Mieko talk helped me take my mind off of Kaito. I did have to admit that Vocaloid9's writing was pretty good. they could make a career out of writing. I got restless as the hours ticked by. I got up and began to pace. Our tears had stopped for the time being. I worried about Kaito, wondering how he was holding up against the surgery. Open heart surgery was no small procedure ether. I thought back to our growing up years. I had gone with Kaito to his cardio appointments. His cardiologist had said that he wanted to perform open heart surgery on Kaito to repair the shunt he suspected was there, but since he couldn't prove for sure that Kaito had a shunt in his heart, our parents refused. Now that I thought about it, Kaito had always looked a bit blue around his lips and fingernails. The waiting was starting to get to me. The door opened to reveal Gumi.

"I'm back on the clock, and I do have an update from Dr. Hart. He is almost finished with the repair. He says this is the worst case of ES he has ever seen. There was nothing separating the left and right ventricles. He will explain the repair soon. This won't cure Kaito, but it will buy time for a heart to become available. There is something else you need to know. He has a high pulmonary pressure. That pressure has caused damage to his lungs. He is going to need a bilateral lung transplant as well as the heart transplant. We are bringing in an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator to support his heart and lungs." Gumi explained, "His condition is touch and go. It has been decided that a nurse is to stay by his side constantly. He is at death's door, but like you I believe in him."

"Can we see him?" Len asked.

"Not yet. You'll see him within the hour. He'll have a tube in his mouth, and will be hooked up to more machines. He will be asleep, so make sure you don't wake him. We want him to sleep because that is when healing takes place." Gumi explained everything to us.

We were taken to Kaito's side 45 minutes later. I went straight to his side and took his hand into my own. The blanket covered his lower half, leaving his chest exposed. There was a central line plus three IV's connected to him not to mention quite a few wires leading from IED pads to several different machines. A long white bandage covered the center of his chest. I could see bruising starting around the bandage. Kaito looked far worse than he did the first time I saw him. I began to feel the first pangs of fear. That fear intensified when Oliver walked in. He was carrying a clipboard and he came to my side.

"We need to discuss end of life care so we will know what to do." Oliver handed me the clipboard, "I need you to fill out these papers. Once that is done, it's time to discuss options. I'll be by in an hour. I have a dying patient in the NICU to sit with." He left. I let go of Kaito's hand and drew up a chair. I went over the paperwork. Twice, I nearly flung the clipboard away, but I finished the paperwork. I knew what Kaito wanted. He did not want to be kept alive by machine, and he wanted to die at home instead of in a hospital. He had made sure I knew this very well.

"I know you are hurting and upset right now, but why don't we discuss wedding details? We don't have to if you don't want to." Miku leaned into me.

"I want to wait until Kaito is fully recovered before we tie the knot." I turned to her.

"We are going to wait for that." Miku soothed, "I was thinking color choices, venue ideas, flower ideas, things like that."

"On the venue, I was thinking we hold the wedding at the Shion Estate. It is in the English countryside, so location may be a problem." I replied.

"You have an estate?" Miku asked, "What else do I not know about you?"

"Actually, it belongs to Kaito. It has been in our family for many generations. It is a beautiful place. In fact, it is the only place where you will find blue roses. The blue rose is a family secret, and I'm sure I was never told the secret. Let's see, I've kept nothing from you." I explained.

"I'd like to see the Shion Estate." Miku said.

"I can show you pictures, and when he is discharged, I'm taking him there to recover." I pulled out my cell phone and entered my camera app. I pulled up the file labeled estate. I handed the phone to Miku who began to browse the pictures.

"It is beautiful! That is our venue!" Miku handed the phone back to me, "I'm so in love with you." She put her head on my chest, carefully avoiding my ribs, which were still sore. I was still using a sling to keep my shoulder still. I put my good arm around her.

"I love you so much, Miku." I whispered throatily into her ear.

"Sorry, while that usually turns me on, I'm not in the mood." Miku looked over at Kaito, "Please, get better, Kaito."

"I'm here, Kaito." I focused on my twin. Would he be there to celebrate my wedding day? Was I watching him slip further and further away? Why didn't our parents allow Kaito to have that surgery? I knew they didn't believe there was a hole in Kaito's heart. Mom had distanced herself from Kaito after the cardiologist had explained to them what she suspected.

I felt a comforting squeeze on my hand. Turning, I found myself staring at a pair of sleepy blue eyes. Kaito had woken up. He gave my hand a comforting squeeze. I gave him a smile. Since he needed a lung, and since I was his twin, I had already offered to donate one of my lungs. I wished I could give him both my lungs and heart, but Miku would not allow it, and Kaito would refuse the donation. At least I was going to help by giving up one of my lungs.

 **Queen Sunstar: I knew it was too good to be true. I've hit writers block. Don't worry, I'm working through it. Kaito is holding on for now. Things are about to get much worse. The fighting begins next chapter, and Lens little scene is coming. Reviews are nice, and this story has passed 300 views. Feel free to give me ideas too. No, I will not change shippings, add OCs, nor have other characters sicken too. I will not kill characters ether. I will not give any powers to anyone, and no Good VS Evil. I will not injure characters ether. You can tell me which POVs you want to see.**


	8. Life

**Queen Sunstar: Chapter 8 is here! Nine is being written, 10 is being outlined, and 11 is in the planning stage. I recently downloaded MikuMikuDance. I am going to create a promotion video for this novel, once I figure everything out that is. Even though it is in English, it feels like it is in a different language. I'll figure everything out soon. On to story.**

 **KAITO**

I wished I could talk. At least I could still sign. I wondered what was wrong with me. Why was I so sick? Was I going to die? Was my career over? What was going to happen? Would I still be alive to see my brother get married? Questions bounced around my head. I didn't have to wait long for answers. A tall man wearing a lab coat over red scrubs and red boots entered the room. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He walked over to stand by my bed.

"You are awake. I know you have questions. Think you can breathe on your own?" the man asked. I nodded. "I'm going to remove the breathing tube. I want you to cough as it comes out." I did as told. The man placed a mask over my nose and mouth. "I'm Dr. Davis Hart, a professor of cardiology. I know what is wrong. You have ES, also known as Eisenmenger Syndrome. Basically, you had a massive hole in your heart. I was able to close it, but it is only a temporary fix. Your lungs are damaged from the high pulmonary pressure. We are waiting for a heart and a set of lungs to become available. It is the only way to cure ES."

"My career?" I was afraid of the answer.

"Your career is done until I can perform the transplants. You may not be able to return to your career even then." Dr. Hart looked apological.

"Am I going to die?"

"If we can't find a heart and lungs soon, you will die. You are in full heart failure. We are forcing your heart to limp along, but it won't last more than a week. I am doing what I can for you."

Dr. Hart left. I turned my head to face the wall. Tears began to roll down my cheeks.

"Wait." Gumi said. Someone must have moved toward me. "He needs to grieve. Let him come to terms with this on his own."

Images flashed before my mind. I saw myself as a child, performing on piano for one of my parents parties while Akaito sang. Even back then, our calling was the stage. Memories of the Shion Estate rolled by, and I saw my many performances in the grand ballroom. I saw my fingers plucking the strings of a harp during a school performance. Next came memories of playing the violin in a quartet. Then I was sixteen again, learning from the Dean of my college that my parents were gone. I didn't tell Akaito that our parents had been found, but they were dead from exposure. They had escaped the plane, and floated at sea in a rubber raft for eight weeks before their bodies gave out and they died. I had felt it was far better for Akaito to believe them missing. I had stepped up into the role of big brother to Akaito, even though we are twins. I saw my many performances as a Vocaloid. My mind returned to the present. My friends, they had to be hurting too. I finally turned my head to see them. Pain reflected in their eyes.

"I'm sorry." I whispered softly.

It was Gakupo who broke the following silence.

"There is nothing to be sorry about." He replied, "No one is mad at you. You could not have known this would happen."

"Back when we were ten, and you were seeing that cardiologist about your worsening heart murmur," Akaito took a deep breath, "I overheard mom and dad talking about you. Mom didn't want you to have the surgery. She insisted there was nothing wrong, and that the hospital only wanted more money. Dad tried to reason with her. He kept saying that she was dooming you to a short life. Dad gave in after a bit."

"Were your parents… abusive?" Miku asked.

"Well, mom got emotionally distant from me starting in my preteen years. She still loved me, but it was… forced. I think she was preparing to lose me. Dad on the other hand was away a lot, but he did his best. After my cardiologist died, he did try to find me a new one." I explained.

"I miss them. I know dad would have loved you." Akaito turned to Miku, "Mom… well, she would have grown to accept you eventually."

"It is getting late, and Luka, you do have school tomorrow." Gakupo said, "I take it that you and Miku are staying again?"

"You all should go home and rest. I'm here for the night." Gumi looked up, "His echocardiogram is looking better."

"No." Akaito started.

"She is right, Akaito. We haven't showered in a while, and no offense, but you are starting to smell ripe. We will be much more comfortable in our own bed." Miku interrupted him.

"Relax; I'll call you if anything happens." Gumi smiled, "He's in good hands."

"All I'm going to do is sleep. I don't need an audience for that. You won't do me any good if you get sick from exhaustion. Go home." I said.

"Fine. If there is any change whatsoever, I want to know about it before it happens." Akaito decided.

My eyes had grown heavy. I couldn't help but wonder if I would open my eyes again after I fell asleep. The room emptied, leaving me and Gumi alone. Gumi checked the clock.

"How is our pain?" She stood and came to my side, "You are due for a bandage change too."

"Pain? Tolerable." I responded.

"There will be none of that. We want you to be comfortable. There is no need to wait until the pain is unbearable here. See that little pump right here? That is a morphine pump. I have not seen you use it yet." Gumi reached over to the pump and pushed the button, giving me a dose of morphine, "Now, I'm going to change your bandage."

Gumi undid the tape with a quick tear. I flinched, remembering the many times I had removed bandages from Len. Len always screamed when I ripped the bandage away. The blond boy had no tolerance for pain. Another sting came along as more tape was removed. Slowly, Gumi peeled the gauze off my chest. It hurt where it stuck to skin by blood. I winced more than once. I looked down at the red line running down my chest. Black stitches kept the incision shut, and blood caked several spots. Gumi began feeling the incision, removing flecks of dried blood as she worked.

"Ow!" I cried out as she gave a gentle tug on one spot.

"I know, I know. It hurts. I have to remove the dried blood. Focus on me." Gumi instructed, "I just love your rendition of He's My Son. You, Luka, and Len were amazing in the music video. I also love Bad Apple too."

"He's My Son was written by a pastor for a family in his church who were watching their son fight cancer. The son recovered, and is in college today. We did the song and music video as a tribute to other families in the same boat so to speak. Bad Apple was penned by me. I was in a dark place at the time. It has become a popular song." I replied, wincing as Gumi began to clean the incision now that the blood had been removed.

"I used to sing." Gumi said, "I was an Idol during my teen years. I decided to quit after two years and become a nurse. I was a bit of a one hit wonder. My song was Love in the Moonlight. I did enjoy singing, but at the same time, it wasn't something I wanted to do for a living. I wanted to help people get better. There, all done. Go on and sleep. I'll be right here with you."

My eyes closed, but sleep refused to come without a fight.

 **MIKU**

I was tired. Worry can do that to you. Again I went over that last six weeks in my mind. I had to have seen something. I refused to believe Kaito had gotten sick without us noticing. I had been busy; dealing with my charges, getting things packed for the concert series in the Pacific Northwest, recording songs, and running a household. I felt Akaito begin to rub my shoulders and sank back in pleasure. He knew where my knots were, and was an expert at getting them out. I felt his hands slide down my back, his thumbs working each muscle. Slowly, he brought his hands around to cup my breasts, sending pleasure through me. One hand moved down to my thigh and began working its way toward my sex. I closed my eyes, my body becoming aroused. Akaito pulled me onto him.

"How fast can you make me orgasm?" I purred seductively, playfully nibbling on his earlobe.

Akaito responded to the challenge. Hours later, I lay curled up in his arms.

"Was it to your pleasure?" Akaito purred throatily into my ear.

"It was perfect." I rolled to face him. "I love you." Our lips met.

"I love you too." Akaito smiled.

Dang, he was gorgeous! I snuggled into his body where I fit perfectly. After a bit, we got up and cleaned our mess. We showered together and returned to bed. We both crashed in moments.

Morning came way too soon for us. The alarm trilled at 6:30 AM.

"It's morning." I grumbled, reaching out to smack the clock radio that was trilling.

"I'm too comfortable." Akaito replied, eyes still closed, "Can they fend for themselves?"

"The last time Gakupo cooked, he gave us all food poisoning so I banned him from the kitchen. There is Mieko, but it is my turn to do breakfast duty." I moved to get up.

"You are right. You, Luka, Mieko, and Kaito are the cooks in this house. I'm getting up." Akaito opened his eyes, "I wonder how Kaito did last night."

I was at my closet, "Hopefully he had a good night. I can't believe no one noticed that he was getting sick."

"You would think I would have noticed. I should have suspected something when he was throwing up all afternoon three weeks ago. He told me something he ate didn't agree with him." Akaito pulled on his black pants with the yellow stripe on them.

I located my grey tank top and slipped into it, "You are right on that. You guys are twins. Don't you guys have twin sense or something?"

"Why is it that when people hear that Kaito and I are twins, they automatically assume we've got powers? The only thing we have is an uncanny knack for sensing when the other is in danger." Akaito dug out a red shirt from his dresser drawer.

"That was what I was talking about." I studied several pairs of grey skirts, "Were the two of you too far apart?"

"I sensed something wrong shortly after we arrived in Sea-Tac. What is with my socks not matching?" Akaito dug through his sock drawer, "Here is a matching pair. I didn't think it was something real serious."

We finished getting dressed. I walked out of our bedroom and stopped by Luka's bedroom. I opened the door and walked in, opening the curtain to let in light. Turning, I gave a bright a cheerful smile.

"Rise and shine!" I called.

Luka grumbled something unintelligible and pulled her blanket over her head.

"You've got five minutes to get up!" Akaito called.

"Luka need coffee." Luka grumbled from under the blanket. She began to get up.

I left the room and walked toward the kitchen. I got coffee going and turned the kettle on to get water heating up. Akaito got my griddle out and set up while I began tossing ingredients together for pancakes. Luka joined us, eyes half open. She was dressed.

"Where Luka coffee?" Luka sat down at the table.

Gakupo was the next one to join us. He said not a single word other than to growl at us. He doesn't start talking until after he has his morning tea, and Luka starts making sense after she's had her coffee. I handed them their cups. I turned toward the stairs, expecting Kaito to be joining us. He was a morning person, always getting up before sunrise. I remembered, and turned my attention back to making breakfast. Mieko joined us, having woken to the smells coming from the kitchen. Rin came in moving carefully while Len followed, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. I served the first patch of pancakes. Everybody dug in.

"Do you want me to drive home after school or meet you at the hospital?" Luka asked.

"Go ahead and meet us at the hospital." Gakupo decided.

"Rin, you are wincing. It might be for the best if you stay here and rest. Injuries hurt the worst on the second day." Akaito suggested, wincing himself as his ribs reminded him they were still healing.

"That is a good idea." Rin didn't complain, "Anyone seen Sundae recently?"

"I've been keeping the cat box clean." Len said, "Sundae is holed up in Kaito's room. She does miss him."

"Too bad we can't take Sundae to go see Kaito." Rin sighed, "I hear that pets can speed up the healing process."

At that, there was a soft meow as Sundae sulked into the kitchen and parked herself in front of her food dish.

"So, you are going to eat with us for a change, huh?" Len stood and scooped some kibble into Sundae's dish. Sundae gave the kibble a disdainful sniff, and promptly snubbed Len. "I'm sorry it's not your favorite. You are not getting ice cream!" Sundae's response was to stick her nose in the air. "I said no and no means no!" Len returned to his seat. Sundae jumped onto the table and sat in front of his plate, "Oh come on! I'm trying to at here, and you know you are not allowed on the table."

"Sundae." Akaito reached over and put the cat in his lap, "You miss him, huh?"

Sundae meowed, and put her head on his chest. He smelled similar to her master, but he wasn't her master.

"Luka, you need to leave if you are going to make it to school before the warning bell." Gakupo looked up at the clock.

"Oh geez!" Luka bolted for the door, stopped, rushed over to Miku to grab her lunch, grabbed her bag from Akaito, and bolted for the door, stopping again to grab her purse before leaving.

"She did do her homework last night, right?" Gakupo asked.

Luka dashed back into the house and darted into her room only to bolt back out with her homework folder. She paused a second, than bolted back outside where the sound of an engine could be heard starting up. Gakupo slid a piece of paper toward Len.

"Let's see, clean kitchen, vacuum, wash cat box, bathe Sundae, and clean attic. Oh no! I'm not bathing Sundae!" Len paled. Sundae, who had been nodding along as Len read the list, hissed at the words bathe Sundae. She turned and gave Gakupo the dirtiest look she could manage.

"You are getting stinky, miss I roll around on my poop in the cat box." Gakupo said to the cat.

"Alert the hospital that I may need a blood transfusion and a ton of stitches later." Len moped, "Better yet, have EMTs on standby."

"Sundae is not that bad, Len." Rin said, "Kaito bathes her all the time. In fact, he can't even take a shower without her joining him."

"That's because she loves Kaito." Len grumbled.

"Sundae, here is the deal. You be a good girl and let Len give you your bath, and I'll see if I can get permission for you to go see Kaito." I tried. Sundae seemed to think about it. She looked toward the freezer and meowed. "Okay fine, Len will reward you with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too." Sundae agreed with a meow. We all swore she thought she was human sometimes. I remember the day Kaito had found her. She was a soaking wet six week old scrap of fur clinging to him. Kaito had said he was only going to foster Sundae until she was strong enough to be adopted. I allowed it. After six weeks, I knew Sundae was not leaving the house. She had found her forever home. Also, I had decided I wasn't cruel enough to break Kaito's heart. He was attached to Sundae, and it felt wrong to separate him from the cat. It was nice having Sundae around. She was a small black female cat. She even starred alongside Kaito in the music video for Kagerou Days. She hopped down to the floor and went to her food dish. She took a kibble, chewed, and proceeded to eat while giving us dark looks. Someone was going to find an unpleasant surprise later.

Akaito, Mieko, and I left for the hospital. Akaito was tense. I was tense too. The three of us were thinking about Kaito.

 **RIN**

I settled in the living room and I turned the TV on. I began with the news. On screen, they were showing the damage from the tornado in the Washington State of the USA. I saw the airport.

"There have been 600 fatalities reported caused by this tornado." The news anchor was talking. I sighed in boredom. Up next, the clip of Kaito's collapse was played again. A cardiologist, Dr. Greene, came on screen. The clip was played very slowly.

"I am Dr. John Greene, a cardiologist working at Seaside. I am not Kaito's doctor, but I can explain the clip. First there was surprise on his face. His hands fly toward his chest. That is chest pain he is feeling. Right here, his body starts to fold. Here, you see Jodye realizing something isn't right. She turns toward him, shock filling her face. At this point, Kaito's heart is likely racing around 150 to 170 beats a minute. Here, you see his face consumed by pain as he falls. I can safely say that it was not a heart attack he was experiencing. What we are seeing is cardiac arrest. Normally, cardiac arrest is instant, but in this case, it took a few minutes." Dr. Greene explained.

"Seriously? You have to watch this?" Len came by with a duster and began dusting the end table next to me.

"I'm going to change it, but I want to see what Dr. Greene says." I said, "When you are done dusting, please go peel me an orange, and bring it to me."

"You do know I'm not your servant. I'll bring it!" Len moved to the next end table after I raised the remote threateningly at his head. I could get used to this.

On screen, Dr. Greene was talking about what could cause a cardiac arrest. I channel surfed until I found Sailor Dark Moon. I love the show, and I collect any and everything related to Dark Moon. Sailor Dark Moon had started out as a character on Sailor Moon that had grown popular. She had her own show now. It was a refreshing change from Sailor Moon. For one thing, monsters were not fought with every episode. The show was not centered on just Dark Moon. The writers were taking the time to develop each character carefully. This episode, Sailors Uranus and Neptune had finally come out to their friends. Pluto was not fine with them being lesbian lovers. I loved the dynamics of the show. I was at the part where Saturn and Dark Moon were desperately racing toward Uranus and Neptune's side as they faced down a strong enemy. I just knew it would take more than a Dark Moon Gentle Affection to take down the enemy. The next episode came on. Len brought me my orange.

"Sailor Dark Moon? Knights of Song are far better." Len plopped down in the other chair, "Sailor Dark Moon does have good points."

"It looks like an episode of Knights of Song is on next. I believe they are searching for the missing Guardian of Music."

"They found him two episodes ago. He has been unconscious since they found him."

"Oh I remember. They are searching for the seven Gem Notes so they can awaken him. When will they finally get to the point of fighting Mephis?"

"Probably not until the season finale. In Dark Moon, do they know who keeps sending the creatures yet?"

"Len, are you doing your chores?" Gakupo's voice drifted into the room from the hallway.

"Not yet. My money's on the Black Moon Family."

"I'm doing my chores! I don't think so. I think it is the White Light."

"The White Light is a source of goodness, Len." It dawned on me what he was getting at, "That would be an awesome twist. It would shatter Dark Moon."

"Len, if you are sitting down when I get in there, I've got a long list of chores with your name on it!" Gakupo called out, "One of those chores is laundry!"

Len paled and stood up, "I hate doing laundry!" He took off to continue his chores.

My ribs and my leg were starting to ache. I considered the trip to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. Was it worth the pain to hobble to the kitchen? I needed relief, but I didn't want to deal with the pain of walking. Sighing, I rose and balanced on my crunches. Each step was torture. I made it to the living room entrance to the kitchen. The medicine cabinet looked like it was miles away. Swallowing resolutely, I worked my way toward my prize. It felt like years had passed by the time I reached the medicine cabinet. Opening it, I found my pills. Taking out two pills, I put the bottle away and hobbled to the fridge. Finding my orange juice, I took the pills. I turned and returned to my chair. I dozed off during Knights of Song.


	9. Fight

**Queen Sunstar: The stress of watching Kaito fade leads to fighting. There will be harsh words, and a shocking end to this chapter.**

 **LEN**

I finished everything but bathe Sundae, and clean the attic. In the kitchen, I ran warm water into the sink while I located the cat shampoo and grabbed a few towels. I shut the water off when the sink was half full. I hunted down Sundae, who was laying on Kaito's bed. She gave me a dirty look, but didn't resist when I picked her up and carried her to the kitchen. I plopped her into the water. Sundae let me know she wasn't happy about the bath by screaming.

"Do you think I want to do this?" I asked the cat, getting a near eardrum bursting caterwaul in response, "I hope the neighbors don't call 911." I finished lathering her up and turned the water on to rinse her off. That had happened once. It was pretty embarrassing explaining to the cops that I was bathing a cat, not killing somebody. They searched the house any way. "Seriously, I'm not killing you!" I drained the water and transferred the cat over to the towel to dry her off. Once she was dry, I set her on the floor and got out her blue dish, "Here is your reward. I'm finished at last. See? You didn't die." I was snubbed again. Sighing, I left the kitchen. My next task and final task was to clean the attic. I moved up to the empty third floor. Rin and I were going to be moved up here soon. We would have our own rooms. Sundae followed me. I walked into the second bedroom and headed toward the second door. Opening it, I walked up the stairs. Reaching the top, I felt for the hanging chain to turn on the light. Finding the chain, I pulled. The light refused to turn on. Great, it was burned out. That met going down to the basement and into the storage room for a new bulb.

When I returned, I was tired. Four flights of stairs will do that to you. I changed the bulb and tugged the chain, the light turning on. Why did Gakupo want the attic cleaned? No one came up here. I sighed, and proceeded to clean. As I cleaned, I began to sing Servant of Evil. I bumped a box, and there was a click followed by a soft whirr. Music began to play. I froze, staring at the box.

"So there you are."

I shot into the air with a high pitched scream. Spinning, I found Rin laughing and wincing.

"Rin! That wasn't nice! Now I know what Kaito went through just before he collapsed." I put a hand over my pounding heart.

"I didn't know you could hit such a high note!" Rin laughed.

A soothing lullaby came from the box, followed by a very familiar voice.

"The day is done. The stars are shining bright. Dream a bright dream of tomorrow. It's time to sleep tonight."

Rin opened the box and pulled out a small yellow music box. I recognized it. It was my old music box from the time I turned ten and Miku had become my legal guardian. It had been a birthday present from Kaito. I had suffered from bad nightmares after the plane crash that took my parents lives. Rin and I both had been in the crash too, but we survived with only cuts and bruises.

"I'd wondered where that went." I took my music box from Rin.

"I found tapes! These are our music videos! Here's He's my Son! I love this one!" Rin called out.

I left Rin alone and resumed cleaning. Finishing at last, I joined Rin.

"I was ten years old when we recorded He's my Son." I replied.

"Here's Childish War, and it's got both versions! Hey, what is this one? We're watching it to find out." Rin pulled out two tapes.

"Uh Rin? We'll need a VCR for these."

"Oh yeah. Wait, Gakupo has one built into his TV in his room. He refuses to part with it, just like Kaito refuses to part with his car."

"Here is another one without a title."

"We're watching it!"

"Here is Triple Baka! The first music video Miku ever did!"

"Let's start with these five!"

"Let's go!"

We raced down to the second floor and borrowed Gakupo's TV, after asking first. We started with He's my Son. In this video, all I had to do was lie in bed and sleep until the end. I would open my eyes as the last notes of the song died away. Rin took the remote and paused it on a close up of Kaito's face.

"Is it me, or is Kaito's lips blue?" Rin asked.

"You are right." I said, "I never noticed. This was two years ago, so Kaito was 20 and Luka was 14. She played the role of the mom. As you can see, she is mature and tall for her age."

"Two years ago…" Rin's eyes went wide, "That's around the time Kaito started having fainting spells!"

"Now I remember. The doctor told us the fainting was being caused by drops in blood pressure. They stopped after Kaito started taking Celta." I got the point Rin was making, "This has been going on for years!"

"We never noticed ether!" Rin added.

"Kids, it's time to go!" Gakupo called us. We stopped what we were doing and joined him. "You kids look a little shell shocked."

"When the doctors asked us for symptoms, we didn't think far enough back." I said.

"Two years ago, Kaito started having fainting spells. They stopped after he started taking Celta." Rin finished.

"You are right. I remember those days. We all were on high alert, watching for signs that Kaito was going to faint. He had to perform his songs sitting in a chair during concerts just in case he did faint. One of us was always right behind him back stage, ready to spring into action if he did end up fainting." Gakupo thought, "It took time for the medication to become effective. He did faint a few times during concerts. He always explained before concerts began about his fainting spells and not to be alarmed if he did faint on stage."

"We need to tell Dr. Hart." I said

"Let's go." Gakupo led us to his car.

We arrived at the hospital and went to the CCU, and on to room 5A. Kaito's eyes were closed when we entered, but he opened them as we pulled up chairs by his bed. Akaito, Miku, and Mieko made room for us.

"I hope we didn't wake you." Rin said.

"You didn't. I wasn't sleeping." Kaito answered.

Kaito looked bad. It looked like he had more wires on him than the day before. His eyes were duller, and he was more listless. He was still pale, but now, his body had taken on more of a blueish tint. There was a bag of blood hanging on one of the IV poles.

"Don't mind me!" Gumi walked in, "I'm just bringing Kaito lunch." She was carrying a bag filled with white fluid. This she attached to a tube leading from Kaito's nose. "Since he can't eat, we are feeding him by feeding tube. Our goal right now is to get him strong enough to undergo the transplants. His lungs are in pretty rough shape. We are hoping that by adding more oxygen carrying cells to his body, we can get on top of the cyanosis. If we can't, our next step is to put him on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenator. That's an ECMO for short. It will take over doing the job his heart and lungs are unable to do. I do need to change that bandage to. Would someone like to take over holding this bag?"

"I'll do it!" Rin jumped up. She took the bag from Gumi. Luka walked in and found a chair. Gumi instructed Rin to gently squeeze the bag as she began to remove the bandage. Once the bandage was gone, we all leaned in for a closer look.

"That looks gnarly." Akaito said, "What did they do? Cut you in half?"

"Almost, and broke my ribs to get to my heart." Kaito managed to smile.

"That is going to scar, right?" Rin asked.

"It will." Gumi answered, "You've got other scars."

"That one is from having to have his right kidney removed when we were seven due to a serious infection. That is when they found his heart murmur. That one was from being impaled by an iron fence post when he got into that car accident in which an iron fence post impaled him. It cut right through his lower spine, severing it from his pelvis. He was told he would never walk again. Six weeks later he was walking, and two weeks after that, he was back on stage, dancing." Akaito said, "That is why I believe he'll beat this."

"Len threw up when we first saw Kaito before the pole was removed." Rin said.

"In my defense, it looked nasty." I replied.

"It didn't really hurt. Staying still was the hard part." Kaito said.

"He was cracking jokes about it." Gakupo added.

 **LUKA**

I listened to what was being said. I remembered that time last year. Seeing that pole cutting through Kaito was shocking, and I didn't blame Len for vomiting. Kaito had defied the odds then, and I prayed he would defy them again and recover from ES.

He looked worse today. Rin was helping by holding and squeezing lightly a bag. I knew that it was a nutrient dense fluid and that Kaito was on a feeding tube. Gakupo turned to face me, hand held out. I knew what he was waiting for. Opening my backpack, I dug out my report card and handed it over. Gakupo was my legal guardian. My home situation had become very volatile. I was abused by my father on a daily basis. A teacher reported to the Empire that I was being abused, so the Empire removed me from my father's care and I was placed with Gakupo, who had turned 19. After turning 18, Gakupo had volunteered for the Empire as a child guardian. He legally adopted me when he was 21. He was more of a big brother to me than a father figure. My mother is still alive, and we have seen each other. With my father still at large, it was better for me to stay with Gakupo than with her.

"You are doing well in school. I see that Math is giving you trouble still. You've brought up your grade a bit." Gakupo signed the report card and I stuffed it back into my backpack. "Homework?"

"Just in Math." I answered.

Gumi finished what she was doing and took the empty bag away. She collected a printout from the EKG. Worry flickered across her face.

"The arrhythmia is getting worse. He is on his way to a massive heart attack." Gumi turned to face us, "This isn't good. I'm calling in Dr. Hart." She left.

Akaito moved to Kaito's side and took his brother's hand into his own. This had to be hurting him. I could see the grief in his eyes. Akaito was facing the very real possibility of losing his twin brother. I looked away. If Kaito died, would I still want to perform? I knew that I would never perform again if Kaito died.

Closing my eyes, I visualized what it might be like if Kaito was gone. I knew that besides performing, I would never be able to eat ice cream again. I stopped after a bit. It would be very hard with him gone. Would we even recover from the loss? The world would grieve with us. It had been the song; He's my Son, which had launched Kaito's career as a singer. I ended my depressing train of thought. Dr. Hart entered the room. He went straight to Kaito's side.

"I'm afraid his heart is in worse shape than I thought. It is shutting down." Dr. Hart looked ashen.

"Doctor, his blood pressure!" Gumi called out.

Dr. Hart turned, "Oh snap! I need to bring down his blood pressure!" He rushed over to the counter and returned to Kaito's side. Quickly, he administered the medication. We all held our breath.

"It's still climbing! If this keeps up, he's going to have a stroke!" Gumi cried out.

"This is not good!" Dr. Hart ran back to the counter and rushed back to Kaito's side, "You stay with me!" He administered the medicine. Again, we all held our breath. The numbers stopped climbing, but didn't drop. Kaito shuddered, his eyes rolling back into his head. His body went limp. Akaito cried out.

"Kaito!" Akaito shook his brother, getting no response, "Kaito, please, don't do this!"

"Gumi, clear the room!" Dr. Hart ordered, "I need an OR, now!"

"Yes, Doctor! OR 2 is open, and being prepared as we speak!" Gumi answered.

We were taken to the family waiting room. Everybody was tense. We all were staring at the door. All of us were focused on one thing. Kaito had to pull through. I felt sick inside. This wasn't right.

"Are we going to lose him?" I asked.

"No, we will not lose him!" Akaito growled, "He will pull through!"

 **LEN**

"Well, we know who to blame for this." Rin snapped, "This is Len's fault!"

"How is it my fault?" I shot back.

"Think about it! You got in trouble at school! Kaito was already stressed out about Gakupo, Miku, Mieko, and Akaito leaving for Washington State! Then you went and opened your mouth! That put more stress on him! It's no wonder his heart is failing!" Rin stormed, "Because of you, Big Brother is dying! I hate you! Why couldn't I be an only child? Why?"

"Rin, you can't blame Len for this." Akaito rose and stood by us.

"Well I do!" Rin hissed.

"It's not Len's fault." Akaito somehow managed to keep his voice calm. I swore there was fire shooting out of his eyes. "Kaito was born with ES. It's genetic, and it runs in the Shion family. Many Shion men have died young of heart attacks. It doesn't affect Shion women. They only become carriers of the gene for ES. Mom was a carrier. I lucked out as I didn't get the gene for it. Kaito did. I want you to apologize to Len."

"I refuse to apologize to a murderer! He is the reason Kaito is dying! It's his fault!" Rin turned away from us, "I don't care if he drops dead! He is wasted space, and worthless to me!"

"Rin!" Akaito was angry now, "You don't mean that!"

"I do! I hate him! He's a killer! He could go kill himself for all I care!" Rin snarled.

I stared at Rin in shock. Her words hurt me badly. They stung. What made it even worse and even more painful was that she was right. It was my fault Kaito got sick, my fault that he was dying. If I had not chewed out my teacher, he wouldn't be sick. I felt hot tears prick my eyes. Not wanting to show how hurt I was, I ran off, going to the stairs at the end of the hall from Kaito's room and surging up them to the roof. Faintly, I heard my name being called. Outside, I sank against a wall, my tears flowing free. I cried hard. The others must hate me for what I did. Rin was right, I was wasted space. I was worthless, and soon, a murderer. I stood and walked toward the railing. Looking down, I imagined the ground embracing me in its painful grasp. It wouldn't hurt for long. Slowly, I stepped up onto the first rail. They were better off without me. I stepped up onto the second rail. Murderers did not deserve to live. I stood on the third and final railing. Rin would be better off without me. I opened my arms and tipped my head back as I prepared to step off the railing. Would I even be missed? Mrs. Shia wouldn't miss me. She'd be overjoyed that I was gone. I bet she would do the happy dance. Miku wouldn't miss me. She was unhappy with me. She didn't need the stress of what I did. Rin wouldn't miss me. She wanted to be an only child. Luka, Akaito, Mieko, and Gakupo wouldn't miss me. I wondered if they even knew I existed some days. Jodye would be the only one who would miss me. My tears continued unabated.

"Good bye, everyone. I won't see you in heaven. I'll be rotting in hell with the rest of my kind." I stepped off the railing.

 **Queen Sunstar: I'm not revealing anything. You'll have to wait until chapter nine. Feel free always to leave a review. We're at 500 hits, and if we reach 1K in hits, I'll have a little surprise for you. In other news, Wings is on hold, and I have a new story in the works called Silence. I also have Fatal Error which is based on the song, Error. Silence is very similar to Wings. I may combine the ideas instead of keeping the stories separate. Wings of Silence does have a good ring to it. We'll see what happens.**


	10. Woresening Tension

**Queen Sunstar: Hard to believe we've reached chapter ten! Akaito gets a taste of fatherhood, and the tension reaches the breaking point! Enjoy!**

 **AKAITO**

I turned to Miku, who nodded. I nodded back and went after Len. He was going for the roof. I followed. When I reached the roof, I saw him standing on the third rail. He was starting to step off. My eyes went wide. I bolted toward the blond boy. Reaching the rail, I managed to grab his arm right before he could fall too far away. My heart was pounding. Icy fear rolled through me in waves. Was this how fatherhood felt? I pulled Len back up onto the roof. Len remained silent and limp. I could feel him breathing and his heart beating.

"Suicide is not and is never the answer." I held him close, my body trembling from the adrenaline. Len stirred. "Len?"

"Why?" the boy asked sullenly.

"Hmm, maybe it's because I already see you as my son and I love you?" I replied.

"Why didn't you let me go?" Len screamed, "Everyone hates me! I killed Kaito!"

"Kaito is not dead yet."

"He will be!"

"How do you know?"

That got Len to think, "People with ES don't live beyond their third decade!"

"Kaito is not on two transplant lists for nothing now."

"You know it could take years, and Kaito doesn't have years! He's got a week at most!" Len started crying into my jacket.

"I'm a match."

"But then I'd lose you!"

"Len, they are taking one lung from me, not my heart nor my other lung. I can live with just one lung. Kaito already lives with one kidney. Miku, Jodye, Mieko, Rin, and Gakupo got themselves tested to see if they were a match, and Miku is a match too. They will take one of her lungs too. That covers the lung portion of the transplants. We only need a heart. Why were you being so selfish? Suicide is a very selfish thing to do. What would our fans think?"

"I wasn't thinking." Len admitted, "I was only thinking about how much I hurt."

"Rin is hurting too. How do you think I've been feeling? Kaito is the only family I've got left. Sure, I've got, oh, a million or so cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. In fact, the current Shion clan covers five generations, but Kaito is my only immediate family. It is hard, watching my twin slip away. How would you feel if it were Rin?"

"I would be sad, mad, and scared." Len replied, "I am scared. I don't want to say goodbye to Kaito."

"I don't ether. Feeling better now?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go back to the waiting room."

"Okay."

We returned to the waiting room. Miku pounced on Len. Rin ignored him. Dr. Hart returned to us.

"He's fallen into a coma. When you go back, you'll see another machine in the room. That's the ECMO. It is now doing what his heart and lungs can't do. I've also discovered that he has a high pulmonary pressure." Dr. Hart explained.

"Does that mean?" Rin asked, fear written all over her face.

"No, it doesn't. I can still do the transplant. He will need a lung transplant too, and I see that Miku and Akaito will donate a lung each to Kaito. We just need a heart. I can't take a heart from any of you. You guys still need your hearts, so don't even ask." Dr. Hart explained further. A man with pink hair entered the room. "This is Yuma, a member of my team. He will run the ECMO. Feel free to ask him questions. My other technician is Sonika. She has the night shift, so she's on duty now. You'll meet her later. By the way, she is a big fan of you guys. He is in 5A like before."

We trooped back to the room. With the ECMO plus the other equipment, the room felt impossibly tiny. A woman with short black hair in spikes was sitting behind the ECMO. She was trying to remain professional, but she was quivering in excitement.

"You guys are the Vocaloids! I'm in the same room with the Vocaloids!" She squealed, "I'm taking care of Kaito, and I still can't believe it!"

Please, don't be one of those fans! "Yes, we are the Vocaloids." I replied.

"I just love to sing and dance!" Sonika continued, "Singing is my passion!"

Don't attempt to audition!

"Have you sung before an audience?"

Miku, no!

"I have. I'm a very talented singer."

"How is my brother holding up, and why is he on two ventilators?" I asked, hoping to drive the conversation away from where I knew it was going. So many fans had tried this stunt before upon running into one of us.

"Kaito is tolerating the ECMO so far. We are using two ventilators to ventilate each lung separately. This gives us more control over his breathing. We all are rooting for his recovery." Sonika explained.

Crisis adverted?

"You should hear me sing. I sometimes sing for my patients. I hear that it can help with recovery." Sonika continued.

Dang it! Please, don't attempt to audition!

"My most popular request is a song I wrote called Live for Me. I've sung it at several funerals. In fact, why don't I give you a performance?"

Please, God, no! God was not on my side as Sonika began to sing.

 _That great divide is parting._

 _Soon I will pass through those parting gates_

 _I wish I could stay a little longer._

 _I wish we could finish our date._

 _Live for me!_

 _Just live for me!_

 _Live for me!_

 _Just live for me!_

 _Live for me!_

 _Live the future for me!_

 _I can no longer see you._

 _I am not afraid anymore._

 _You hold me close_

 _My breath stops forevermore_

 _Live for me!_

 _Just live for me!_

 _Live for me!_

 _Just live for me!_

 _Live for me!_

 _Live the future for me!_

"You are pretty good." Miku said.

Miku, no!

"So, think I'm Vocaloid material?" Sonika asked.

I knew it!

"For the last time, we are not looking for new members." Luka sighed, "You are not the first to try this. That rumor that we are searching for a ninth member is wrong."

"Do you think I'm good enough that if there was an opening, I could be a Vocaloid?" Sonika asked.

"Well, You could make it on your own, no problem. If there were an opening, it would not go to a fan, even if said fan had the necessary talent. Most likely, it would go to Yoholoid." Miku answered.

"So, if I were to make a name for myself as a soloist, would you consider me?" Sonika's eyes glittered.

"Maye then we would, but it is a long shot." Rin said.

"Did I tell you that Len tried to jump to his death earlier?" I asked, attempting to end the discussion on Sonika.

"LEN!" six shocked voices chorused as one.

"What were you thinking?" Rin sputtered.

"I kind of wasn't." Len admitted.

"I almost didn't get to him in time." I broke in.

"What? We almost lost our son!" Miku wailed, grabbing and hugging Len tightly.

"Help! She's stuck in mom mode again!" Len wailed, squirming to try to free himself.

"I nearly lost my other half!" Rin joined Miku.

"I'm being suffocated!" Len screamed.

"I almost lost my little brother figure!" Luka moved toward them.

"No!" Len whined, "Not you-oof! I'm getting mauled to death!"

"Family hug?" Meiko asked.

"No, it's more fun to watch Len suffer." Gakupo said.

"You are right." Mieko added.

"You two don't care that I'm getting killed!" Len sobbed.

"Oh we care. It's more fun to watch you suffer." Gakupo replied.

 **GAKUPO**

It was fun to see Len get mauled. He was in no danger of being suffocated. Hopefully he'd learned his lesson.

"Len, suicide is a very selfish thing to do. You are lucky Akaito got to you in time. What would Kaito think?" I pounced as soon as Len was released.

"Kaito wouldn't be thinking." Len muttered, "He'll be six feet in the ground."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Am I the only one who can see that Kaito is at the end here?" Len asked hotly, "Why can't you see what I see? Kaito is dying!"

"Excuse me, but this ECMO is not here for decoration!" Sonika looked up, "You need to calm down. I'm not keeping him alive for nothing now am I?"

"That's just it! Kaito doesn't want this!" Len snapped, "He doesn't want to be kept alive like this!"

"We are not keeping him alive." Sonika rolled her eyes, "He is still fighting. When he stops fighting and says enough is enough, than we will honor his wish to let him go."

"If he is still fighting, why is he on life support?"

"That's what it is. We are supporting his body to give him the best chance possible to recover, and to buy time for a heart to become available. We don't have a cold storage of spare body parts you know."

"You know, that is a good idea." Rin quipped.

"You are right. Sadly, organs are in short supply as it is." Sonika smiled.

"How long do you think he can last?" I asked.

"Well, it is hard to say. Miracles do happen. To give you a number, I'd say a week at most, maybe longer if his will to live is strong enough. There are times when I'm doing this that I'm tempted to cause a multicar pile up and harvest all the organs of those who die. I've got crash mode of Burnout for that. I would never ever do that for real though." Sonika resumed watching the ECMO. She made an adjustment, "I must watch this thing constantly and make the adjustments needed as they happen. It is a monotonous job, but I love it."

"We do need to mentally prepare for the worst." Mieko replied.

"What? Kaito is not going to die!" I snapped.

"You need to come to terms with the fact he may not make it!" Len hissed.

The tension was rising.

"Can we calm down before someone says something they will regret?" I asked.

 **MIKU**

I hated it when fans tried to audition. When would they realize we were not accepting new members?

I took a chair and joined Luka, "I nearly cried when they played Good Bye on the radio on the way here this morning."

"It hurts to hear his voice in song. I keep wondering if we will hear him sing again. Are we watching him die?" Luka blinked.

"We may need to prepare to lose him, Luka. The way things stand, it just doesn't look good. Hearts are not easy to come by." I answered, "All we can do is to keep praying. Miracles do happen."

"I miss him." Luka closed her eyes, "I can't even look at ice cream anymore, nor eat it."

"I'm pretty sure no one has touched any ice cream since Kaito got sick." I replied.

Ann entered the room to collect the printout from the EKG, "There is a hoard of people outside, and they don't want the ER. They're demanding answers about Kaito.. Those T waves are getting wider. That means he's well on his way to a massive heart attack."

"Oh snap! I totally didn't think about that!" I gasped.

"That can be reversed, right?" Gakupo asked.

"It can be reversed." Ann picked up a set of paddles, "I'll have to deliver a shock to his heart when it is on the T wave pattern." Ann watched the EKG, and gave a shock. Kaito lurched. "Hmm, no change." She gave a second shock, "There we go. The T waves are tightening up."

"I took our web site down for updates, and I've forgotten to put it back up." Luka face palmed.

"Miku and I will go handle the crowd." Akaito stood.

"We will stay." Rin added.

"I'm going too." Mieko stood, "Gakupo, you are in charge of the twins and Luka."

"I'm going too." Len followed.

 **MIEKO**

I knew what we would find upon stepping outside. I was right. Reporters, fans, and spectators surged toward us. The hospital security and the police force moved between them and us. Dr. Hart joined us. A podium had been hastily set up. Somehow it remained upright despite the huge number of microphones taped to it. Akaito walked over to stand behind it. A sharp whistle got everybody's attention. The crowds surged toward him, but were held back by the police. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"On behalf the Vocaloids, I apologize for not doing this sooner. I know many of you saw Kaito collapse live, and later on TV. This is Dr. Davis Hart, who has been taking care of my brother. Due to doctor patient confidentiality, he can't reveal much about Kaito's condition." Akaito stepped back and Dr. Hart stepped forward.

"I can tell you that Kaito's collapse was not caused by a heart attack. He has ES, which stands for Eisenmenger Syndrome. His condition is touch and go. That is all I am allowed to reveal. Eisenmenger Syndrome means there is a hole between your ventricles. It strikes between the second and third decades of life. Victims never live beyond their third decade without treatment. I'm doing everything I can." Dr. Hart stepped back and Akaito and Miku both stepped forward.

"We are NOT accepting new members! Whoever posted that rumor is dead wrong!" Miku announced.

"We need your prayers right now. My brother is in rough shape. Not too long ago, I watched him fall into a coma. I'm not in a good mood ether. I'm scared. I'm watching my twin brother slip farther and farther away. The last thing I need is this. This is a trying time for us." Akaito stepped back and I stepped up to the podium.

"I know you all are wondering if we are still going to perform. All performances are on hold. We will make it up to you as soon as Kaito is cleared to perform. Miku and Akaito have exciting news to share." I stepped back.

"Mieko!" Akaito whined.

"Thanks for putting us on the spot, Mieko! We were planning an interview with Stars a week from now!" Miku glared at me.

"This is not how we planned to reveal our engagement!" Akaito hissed.

"Good going, Akaito. You just blabbed our secret!" Miku shot at him, "Do you not see the microphones a foot away from you?"

"Oops." I paled.

"Mieko!" Len gasped, "What were you thinking?"

"I'm so going six feet under! I'm sorry you two! I should have kept my mouth shut!" I tried to smooth things over.

"Maybe I shouldn't marry you!"

"Miku, the microphones!" Len tried.

"You stay out of this!"

"Our engagement is over!" Akaito snarled.

"Wait you two-"

"Mieko, shut up!"

"Don't tell me to shut up, Akaito!"

"Here!" Miku flung the ring at him.

"Guys?"

"Not now, Len!" Miku snapped.

"You two do know you are fighting on national television, right?" I asked

"Do we look like we care?" Akaito growled.

"Um, Len, come with me. Let those two fight." I herded the blond boy back into the hospital.

"Are they going to be okay?" Len asked.

"I honestly don't know." We went back to 5A.

"What happened out there?" Gakupo asked.

"Miku and Akaito are fighting." I answered. "Akaito broke their engagement."

"That is bad." Luka said, "Hopefully, when they both calm down, they'll talk and patch things up."

"I hope so." Len said.

It wasn't long before Akaito entered the room.

"I want all of you gone!" He hissed.

"Akaito-" Gakupo tried.

"I don't want to hear it! Just go!" Akaito whirled to face him.

"You need to cool off!" Gakupo yelled.

"Oh not again." Len sighed.

"I still hate you!" Rin growled at him.

"Well I hate you too!" Len shot back.

"I hate you more!" Rin hissed.

"You started this!" Miku snapped at me, "You just couldn't keep your trap shut could you?"

"I know, I know!" I moaned, "Why couldn't I keep my mouth shut?"

"I need to cool off? My brother is dying in front of me, and you want me to cool off?" Akaito was screaming now.

"You are mad at Miku! Stop taking it out on me!" Gakupo roared.

"Come on! We are leaving!" I tried.

"You started this!" Akaito screamed at me.

"Let's go now!" I tried, ignoring Akaito.

"Let's go! You too, Luka!" Gakupo stormed out with Luka following.

"Come along, Rin and Len!" I tried to be cheerful. We left and returned home. I made a quick dinner and after we ate, I sent the kids to bed.

 **Queen Sunstar: Up next, Miku's life is put in grave danger while complications arise with Kaito. Kaito does have another POV coming up, and we will be seeing Kiki, the reaper from my other Vocaloid fanfiction. She is still crazy, and is suspected of having ADD.**


	11. Impact

**MIKU**

I was upset. I decided to walk home so I could cool off. The mansion was only five miles away, and I was in great shape. I remembered walking home from this area with Kaito, and how after a mile and a half, he would have to sit down to catch his breath. Because of this, we set up our concerts so Kaito could have breaks between performances to catch his breath and rest. I gasped. Why had we not realized then something was wrong? There were his fainting spells that stopped after he started taking Celta to keep his blood pressure from dropping so low that he would faint. During that time while his new medication was beginning to work, he had to sing from a chair so he wouldn't hit the floor if he fainted, and one of us was always behind him. We were hidden by the curtain, and we were armed with a syringe. If he fainted, we were to dart in and inject the syringe into his side to get his blood pressure back up. He would take a minute after coming awake to speak to our fans and let them know he was fine. I gasped again, hot tears streaming down my face. Those fainting spells were from ES! Kaito was suffering and we didn't even notice! I knew that Kaito hated to make us worry about him. I blinked, unable to see much through the tears. I stepped off the sidewalk. My foot caught on the edge of the sidewalk and I stumbled, hitting the ground a foot away. Grumbling about my klutziness, I got to my feet. Two bright circles of light got my attention. They were coming so fast toward me that all I could do was scream. I felt the first impact on my right hip. My body was lifted into the air and I slammed into the windshield. The car stopped, and gravity flung me back onto the road. I felt my right wrist break upon impact. Looking up, and amazed that I was still conscious, I saw a second pair of headlights bearing down on me.

' _I'm dead._ ' I thought, feeling oddly calm. The lights flew ever closer. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. Pain exploded through my body as the car smashed into me. I went airborne a second time only to be embraced by the unforgiving ground. My left ankle ripped itself open as what felt like a sharp knife sliced into my stomach. I saw something red that reminded me of sausage spilling from me. My blood flowed around me. I heard panicked voices. There was the sound of running footsteps. The sound of gurney wheels on cement reached me next.

"Can you tell me your name?" came a male voice.

"You know who she is!" a woman's voice drifted through the haze.

"Ha-Hatsune, M-Miku." I uttered.

"We are supposed to ask. Miku, can you tell me where it hurts?" the male voice asked.

"My stomach…" I knew I was fading.

"Stay with me, Miku. You are going to be okay. We are going to take care of you."

"T-tell Akaito… I really did… love him…"

"You can tell him yourself, okay?"

"I-I can't… I-I'm dying…"

"Stay with me! You are not dying!"

"No, I'm sorry…"

Everything went black.

 **Kaito**

I leaned against the wall, watching everything going on. Akaito sat by my bedside, holding my hand. There was a woman sitting behind the ECMO. This is what a coma is like. It was very boring. I couldn't interact with anything. I sighed, wondering if it was possible to die from boredom. That's when something changed. Miku entered the room. She went to Akaito to hug him, only to pass right through him. She looked shocked.

"Miku, what are you doing here?" I asked.

She jumped and spun around.

"Kaito!" She ran to me and hugged me, "I can touch you!"

"What are you doing here?" I tried again, returning the hug.

"I don't know." Miku admitted, "I don't know how I got here. All I know was that I woke up and got out of bed. No one seemed to see me. I came here. How are you doing?"

"I'm dying." I replied.

"That is correct."

I groaned, "Miku, meet Kiki."

"I'm Kiki, and I'm a reaper." A woman with long black hair in braided pigtails wearing a black and red version of Miku's standard outfit minus the tie, thigh highs, and detached sleeves. She wore black modesty shorts with black boots that reached her knees. She carried a glaive. "Before you even ask, we change with the times."

"Is it my time yet?" I asked. Miku clung to me, her face wreathed in horror.

"Nope, not yet. I'm here for her. She is dying at the scene after being hit twice by two different cars." Kiki said cheerfully.

It was my turn to cling to Miku, horror wreathing my face.

"Would you relax?" Kiki asked, "She still can survive."

"You better survive, Miku." I turned to her.

"Will it hurt?" Miku asked., "Kaito, I am doing this to save your life. You'll get my heart and lungs, so in a way I will live on."

"You won't feel a thing." Kiki leveled her glaive at Miku, "First, I run you through and then you turn to dust. That is all there is to it."

"Miku, damn it, live!" I cried out, "I don't want this!"

"It was fun while it lasted." Miku closed her eyes, "I'm ready."

I grabbed and shook her, "You will live!"

"She's made her choice." Kiki said.

"For God's sake, Miku, you must live! Don't leave them! Think about Akaito!"

"Akaito hates me."

"Is that what you think? I've been standing here listening to him go on about how he let his dream girl get away! He loves you! Live for him!"

"Sorry, Kaito. I'm sacrificing my life to save yours." Miku stepped around me and Kiki came forward with her glaive. I watched helplessly as Miku was run through. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see her crumble into dust. Instead, I heard a gasp. Opening my eyes, I saw Miku glowing. Kiki was smiling, which with her vampire like fangs and unusually wide mouth, was very creepy.

"Well, it looks like you are living after all." Kiki said.

Miku began to fade, "I wanted to save Kaito!"

"You are living and that is that!" I snapped at her.

"Sorry Charlie." Kiki said.

She vanished.

"She has returned to her body. The doctors got her back. She has a long road of recovery in front of her, but she will fully recover." Kiki explained.

I sighed, heard a rapid beeping and turned. The woman behind the ECMO was working frantically. Akaito was panicking. Gumi and Dr. Hart ran into the room with Ann following behind them. Ann spoke to Akaito, who took off. Dr. Hart ripped the blood soaked bandage off of my chest. I was thankful I didn't have any chest hair because at the speed Dr. Hart removed the bandage, it would have hurt. I moved closer to see what was going on.

"Ugh, that's infection!" Ann wrinkled her nose, "Gumi and I made sure to keep the incision clean, so how did this happen?"

"I think I'm going to throw up." Gumi groaned, "How did we not smell that sooner? Ugh, look at the pus!"

"Get me an OR." Dr. Hart breathed through his mouth shallowly to keep his dinner where it belonged. "I'm going to have to clean out the incision surgically. I want him on high doses of antibiotics, Amoxi-Clavin and Dephtritol, 1000 milligrams by IV, and I don't care if you have to set up a fourth IV to do so."

"OR four is open and being prepared." Gumi called from the phone.

"His heart is going crazy here!" Sonika called out, "I've never seen T waves this wide, and those S waves are tiny! He is about to have a heart attack, and I'm doing what I can, but I can't stop it."

I felt waves of agony crash through me. The tight vice around my lungs tightened even more. Each breath hurt badly. My lungs were being forced to expand, but the vice only tightened even more. It felt like my lungs were burning. I heard Dr. Hart start swearing. My blood pressure had shot up. It did not respond to medication. Kiki stood behind me, watching.

"You are dying, but you are fighting. Don't worry, Miku won't remember the between world and what she tried to do. I am going to have to collect you soon." Kiki said.

Could I let go and die? I knew Akaito would grieve the hardest. Could I cause him that agony? Miku would feel lost. Gakupo, Luka, Rin, and Len would be upset too. Mieko would blame herself for my passing. Could I really hurt them like that?

 **MIKU**

I opened my eyes and blinked, adjusting to the light. Someone was holding my good hand. Hot pain seared my body. I gasped sharply.

"In pain?" Akaito asked.

I turned to face him, "It's not bad. I was hit by two cars. How did I survive?"

"You were rushed straight into surgery, and you crashed on the table. You were dead for 15 minutes before you were brought back." Akaito explained, "Ann told me what happened, and I've never been so scared in my life, Miku. I love you. Seeing you so still and lifeless in the trauma bay scared me so much. I don't ever want to lose you. Also, that button right there is for pain."

"Am I forgiven for my actions?" I asked, pressing the button. My pain faded away.

"I let my temper get the best of me. I am sorry, Miku. Can you forgive me? I forgive you too."

"I forgive you, my love." I smiled at him.

He leaned in close and we shared a deep kiss. I held up my right hand.

"I don't think I'll be able to get the ring on your finger." Akaito chuckled.

I looked, "That's one swollen finger. We will have to wait for the swelling to go down. What are my injuries?"

"You have one broken wrist and hand, one broken hip, one broken ankle, and a gash across your stomach. Your intestines got ejected through the opening. The surgeon had to painstakingly pick bits of road off of them." Akaito explained.

"I'm pretty messed up. Well, if Kaito can be walking six weeks after severing his spine, I can be walking on my own in six weeks too. I really should have been paying attention." I replied.

Gumi entered the room. She was in street clothes instead of her scrubs. She came to my bedside.

"I just got off the clock. I decided it was best if you hear it first from me." She sighed sadly, "Kaito took a turn for the worst. He developed a massive infection in his incision. His blood pressure shot up and we couldn't get it under control. Kaito suffered a stroke. Dr. Hart called in Neurology, and he had to rush Kaito back to surgery. It is not looking good right now."

"Where are we on that heart?" I asked.

"Kaito is too sick to undergo the transplant safely. As for the heart, none have become available." Gumi explained, "You need to prepare yourselves to say goodbye. I passed Oliver on the way here."

As if he heard his name, Oliver came into the room. He nodded at Gumi, who left. He drew up a chair and sat down.

"It's time." Oliver said.

"Time for what?" Akaito asked.

"Kaito is telling us his fight is over. He has nothing left to fight with. He is done. Have you decided what you want me to do?" Oliver asked.

"No. No! Kaito will not die! He can't die!" Akaito screamed, "He's all I got left in this world! He can't leave me!"

"I know this is hard." Oliver said, "Kaito won't have to hurt anymore. He'll be in a better place, a place where he can watch over you. This is the kindest thing you can do for him."

"You are asking me to agree to kill my brother!" Akaito began to cry, "I know Kaito! I know my brother! He may be down, but he is far from out!"

"I'll let you think about it." Oliver got up and left.

Akaito choked back a sob. I moved over a bit. He climbed in beside me and I held him as he cried. Tears flowed from my eyes too. If Kaito died, I would end my career as a performer. There was no way I could continue to sing. I knew the others felt the same. Please, Kaito, stay with us.

Akaito cried himself to sleep. I let him sleep on me, knowing he needed me right now. I relaxed. My man let out a soft snore. A chilling thought entered my mind. What if Akaito had ES too? Twins share DNA, right? Wouldn't Akaito have the same DNA as Kaito? Was he a ticking time bomb too? Fear rolled through me. The thought of seeing Akaito in Kaito's place scared me. I couldn't lose him, ever! A nurse walked into the room.

"Oh how sweet!" She said, "Husband?"

"Soon to be husband. Can you find Dr. Hart? I have a question for him." I said.

"Dr. Hart is in surgery, working to stabilize Kaito. I can go get Ann for you." The nurse smiled, "How are we feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good actually. When do I get to try walking?" I asked.

The nurse chuckled, "Not until your bones heal. You'll have to use a wheelchair for a few weeks, than you'll need physical therapy for a few weeks." She paged Ann, who came in.

"Could Akaito have ES too?" I dreaded the answer.

"Dr. Hart was worried about that too. He did a TEE on Akaito, and Akaito is in the clear. His heart is very healthy." Ann smiled, "He is fine."

Relief flooded through me. Akaito would not have to go through what Kaito was going through. There was a ringing noise. Ann pulled out her pager.

"I'm needed in the OR. I'll come update you when I can." Ann looked worried. She took off.

"You look tired, there. Go ahead and rest." The nurse left.

My eyes felt heavy. I did need to sleep. I lowered my head so it rested on top of Akaito's head. I breathed in the scent of his cologne. Feeling very relaxed, I went to sleep.

 **Queen Sunstar: I have my laptop back! Updates will come quicker than before. Next chapter, only Kaito has the POV. It will be a very sad piece, so pack extra Kleenex. The chapter title is called Good Bye for a reason. For those of you who have watched CSI NY, you will recognize where the idea for the following chapter has come from. That episode had me on pins and needles all week. I watched the preview endlessly. I felt like Friday was coming very slowly. The only other show to get me like this was TF Prime, the episode titled Sick Mind. I thought for sure that Optimus was going to have one of his deaths. Anyway, I'm going to shut up now.**

 **PS: I almost forgot. I did some rewriting on Chapters 2, 5-10. I dialed Jodye way back. She will return for the duration of this story, but will be far more subdued. Don't worry; the changes don't affect the storyline.**

 **PPS: I've got several Vocaloid pieces in the works.**

 **Fatal Error based on the Disappearance of Kaito Shion. Kaito contacts an error, but after hours of work, Master gives up, saying the error is proving fatal, and there is nothing he can do. The Vocaloids stay by Kaito's side as he fades and dies. While they grieve, Master reveals a surprise, a new child Vocaloid named Akaito. The Kagamine twins befriend him quickly. While home alone one day, they decide to explore the basement, coming across a hidden door. On the other side, they find Kaito inside a capsule.**

 **Saihate: There is a knock at the door. Akaito answers it to find a police officer holding his hat. He has bad news. There was a freak accident, and Miku is injured, and Kaito is dead.**

 **Tainted: A crossover between Vocaloid and Megaman Battle Network. Protoman is called to a crime scene inside the Vocaloid home page. He finds five Vocaloids murdered. Before he can investigate, he gets a call of an attack in progress. Rushing to the scene of the attack, he finds a crowd of Navis with some of them kneeling next to a very familiar small blue form. Protoman rushes to Megaman's side. Before losing conscious, Megaman manages to name his attacker. It's the Vocaloid Kaito. Akaito turns himself in to Scilabs out of fear that he may end up like Kaito as he was created from the same programs. Mistress reveals her latest project, Gakupo, a program designed at Cyber Elf X's request armed with a special code that will stop him should he ever turn dark. It is quickly realized that X is in danger as Kaito is making his way toward the Ethernet. Protoman, Searchman, Akaito, and Gakupo race against time to stop Kaito once they realize he plans to infect X.**

 **Silence: Kaito is the Guardian of Music. He watches over the seven Gem Notes and protects the world. His old foe returns, and injures him badly. Desperately, Kaito sings to the Gem Notes, sending them in hiding in seven people on earth. Miku discovers she has powers. Soon, she is joined by six other people and they become the Vocaloids. Together they fight to keep the world safe. That all changes after Akaito starts having visions of a blue haired man that looks identical to him telling him to find the Gem Notes.**

 **Silence 2: Akaito and Miku's daughter, Kaiko, grows up in a world devoid of music. She learns of her family history and her family's ties to the Guardian of Music. She discovers a hidden room in her home, the Shion Estate. Inside, she finds her father's sword, the legendary Sword of Notes he used as his weapon. Upon touching it, Kaiko is transported to a different place where she meets Kaito and learns of her destiny to become the new Guardian of Music. The area is attacked, and Kaito sends her back with a cryptic message. "Find the bladed trio and unite them when the three kings meet."**


	12. Goodbye

**Queen Sunstar: Sad chapter is sad. Keep Kleenex within reach. Let the feels consume you!**

 **KAITO**

I was home. It was eerie and quiet. I moved through the rooms, imagining life happening all around me. The kitchen brought memories of good smells and delicious food. Ever the culinary master, Mieko was cooking. She put the spoon down and turned to me. I knew what I was going to do.

"Kaito!" She rushed over and hugged me. I returned the hug. "Why are you here?"

"I came to say goodbye, Mieko." I explained.

"But why?" Mieko asked, her eyes shiny with tears.

"I'm tired and I'm done fighting a battle that can't be won. I will miss you. This is goodbye." I replied.

"Kaito, I will miss you too." Mieko cried into her apron. I moved on, walking into the living room. Len stood. I could see it in his eyes. He knew why I was there.

"Is this goodbye?" Len asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"I don't want you to go!"

"I'm tired, Len."

"I'll miss you so much!"

"I'll miss you too. Goodbye, Len."

"Goodbye, Kaito." Len choked out, hugging me.

I let my feet carry me to the deck. Luka was in a chair, sewing. She stood and put her sewing aside.

"Luka." I said.

"No, you can't leave!" Luka screamed, "You can't die!"

"I'm done, Luka. I'm tired."

"This is not goodbye!"

"I am done fighting. You know I lived a good life."

"Please, stay!"

"I wish I could. I really wish I could."

Luka threw herself into my waiting arms, crying into my long white jacket. I held her. Unknown to them, this was hurting me as much as it was hurting them. I really wanted to keep fighting, but I had nothing left to fight with. I was completely spent. I tilted Luka's tear streaked face up toward mine.

"I will miss you, Luka. Goodbye." I replied softly.

"Goodbye, Kaito." Luka pulled away. She returned to her seat and buried her face into her hands. My feet took me down to the basement, to a certain room that was the pride and joy of a certain purple haired Samurai. I opened the paper sliding doors and stepped into the room. Gakupo was facing the wall where a sword rack was hung. One sword was a katana with a purple handle. The other sword bore a blue handle with a faded sapphire on the hilt. It was a straight edged blade. The katana was a simple affair that was a family heirloom in Gakupo's family. The second sword was a Shion family heirloom. Gakupo lifted the katana off the rack.

"You and me, here and now, no holding back, with family weapons." He growled.

I took down the second sword, "I will honor your request."

We faced each other. I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet, leaning forward slightly, my sword arm loose, and the sword pointing at the floor. Gakupo made the first move with a forward charge. I sidestepped the charge and twisted around neatly to catch the katana on the flat edge of my sword. Our eyes locked. Gakupo's purple gaze was red rimmed as if he'd had an allergy attack. He didn't have allergies. I knew he had been crying. He was venting his grief by fighting me. I took a half step back and bent my left knee slightly, sword held out horizontally. Shifting my weight onto my left leg, I caught Gakupo's thrust and turned it aside. I unleashed the move that had made many a Shion Knight famous. Clasping both hands on the hilt of my sword, I spun in place, forcing Gakupo to backflip out of the way, but forcing him to lose his katana. I came to a neat stop, sword pointed at Gakupo's throat.

"Samurai, do you yield?" I asked.

"No, English Knight, I do not yield!" Gakupo unsheathed a dagger and caught my thrust. I overbalanced and while I stumbled and managed not to fall, Gakupo reclaimed his katana, "A samurai always carries more than one weapon!"

"An English Knight knows how to disarm an opponent's daggers!" I snapped back, sending his dagger to stick into the ceiling. Upstairs, someone snapped a warning at us to be more careful and to try not to kill each other. That would be Mieko. I nearly missed seeing Gakupo swinging his katana in an arc toward my neck. I managed to block the blow in time. Twisting, I went under Gakupo's arm and forced him off balance as I brought my sword around. He hit the floor. My blade stopped inches from his neck.

"I yield." Gakupo looked away, "That was a fun match. I'm going to miss you man."

"Take care of my sword, Gakupo. I'll miss you too. I'll miss our matches down here." I hugged Gakupo, "Goodbye, old friend."

"Old? I'm only 24!" Gakupo snapped. We shared a laugh together, "Goodbye, Kaito."

As I left, I heard him crying. My feet carried me upstairs to a bedroom. I went in, and Rin dove into my arms.

"Please, don't go, big brother! Don't go!" Rin sobbed, "You can't go! You can't!"

"Rin, I have to go. I don't have anything left to fight with anymore. I will miss you, little sister." I hugged her. She hugged me back.

"Big brother!" Rin was crying too hard to speak. I held her for a bit. "I will miss you! This hurts so badly! I need you to stay!"

"Rin." I knelt so I was at her level, "Everything will be okay. I'm not going far away. I will always be right here." I put my hand over her heart, "I will never leave that place inside you. I know it will hurt, but it will hurt only for a little while." Rin clung to me and hiccupped. "I'm going to a place where I will get to watch over you. I won't hurt anymore. I know you don't want me to be in pain anymore."

"I want you pain free, but with us, not gone!" Rin cried, "This really is goodbye, big brother!"

"Goodbye, little sister." I didn't want to let her go.

"Goodbye, big brother!" Rin finally pulled away and curled up on her bed. I left.

"Mew?" I looked down to see my beloved cat, Sundae. I bent down and picked her up.

"Sundae, be good for Len, okay? He loves you almost as much as I do." I hugged her. She rubbed her head against my cheek, "Daddy has to go away, little princess." Sundae licked my neck gently before putting her head under my chin and purring, "I know I will miss you too. You came into my life at the right time." I sat on the stairs, my eyes closed as I recalled finding Sundae.

 _Flashback_

 _I was walking home from the park after a brisk power walk around the inside perimeter. It was part of my new exercise program prescribed by my doctor, Dr. She, in order to build up my strength. I had been getting out of breath too easily, and I could barely make it through one song without panting for breath. If this failed, I was looking at physical therapy. I had not made it around the perimeter without having to stop and rest. I was down to four rests from starting with 9 rests, which meant I was improving._

 _The grey sky overhead opened up. I was wearing my blue and white sweat outfit, a gift from Miku. She had gone with me to my appointment. I sighed, having not taken an umbrella. I was going to be drenched when I got home. Mieko would march me into a hot bath and then pour a bowl of one of her many soup recipes down my throat. She would make me wear my robe and keep an eye on me all evening to make sure I didn't catch a cold. Mieko often acted like she was our mom and not one of our friends._

 _It was then that I heard a soft cry. I wasn't sure that I had heard a cry at first. The cry came again, a little louder than before. I looked down at the drain I was standing by as I waited for the light to change so I could cross safely. Struggling not to get sucked into the storm drain was a tiny black kitten. I knelt, and reached for the kitten. A car roared by, sending icy water spraying all over me. I shivered due to the sudden cold. My fingers closed around the kitten as it lost its battle against the surge. I pulled it up into my arms. The kitten looked to be at least two to three weeks old. A check under the tail revealed it to be a girl. She shuddered against me. I rubbed my hands over her tiny body, getting her blood flowing and warming her up. I rose to my feet, and ended up getting a second icy shower. The light changed back to red. I sighed._

 _Once the light was green, I crossed the road safely and made it home. Just as I knew she would, Mieko marched me toward my bathroom in my bedroom. The kitten let out a meow, startling Mieko._

" _Who is this?" She asked._

" _She is a kitten that I found fighting not to get sucked into a drain. I couldn't let her drown." I sneezed._

" _I'll get her taken care of. You get yourself into that bath. We can't have you catching a cold now, not with the tour nearly upon us." Mieko took the kitten, who mewed and struggled in her hands, trying to get to me. I took her back before Mieko could drop her by accident. "She's staying with you."_

" _Kaito, you are dripping water everywhere, and why am I hearing meowing?" Miku joined us._

" _He found a kitten." Mieko stepped aside._

" _You know my rule about no pets." Miku said._

" _I know, Miku. She will only be here for a few weeks until she is big enough for adoption. I'm only going to foster her." I promised._

" _I'll allow that. I can see that she is too little to fend for herself, and I'm not the heartless jerk that Len seems to think I am. I took his games away because he is failing fifth grade. Why did I agree to take the twins in?" Miku petted the kitten._

" _Hmm, maybe because they were your adopted brother's kids and you are the only family the Empire could find?" Mieko asked._

" _I hate motherhood." Miku grumbled. I sneezed again. "You better not be catching anything! We have a tour coming up in two weeks, and the album still needs to be finished."_

" _I'm fine! She is too young for kitten food. She'll need to be fed kitten formula for a few more weeks yet." I replied._

" _She is going to need a name. I'll run to the pet store to get what you need to care for her. Mieko, make sure they get warmed up. If he does catch a cold, let me know so I can kill him." Miku turned to leave._

" _Her name is Sundae." I called out._

" _Seriously, after ice cream?" Mieko asked, "I was thinking maybe Luna or Midnight."_

" _What's wrong with Sundae?" I sneezed again._

" _You get moving. I'm going to make my famous chicken noodle soup, and yes, I'm pouring a bowl or two down your throat." Mieko sent me off._

 _I did end up catching a bad cold that left me bedridden for a week. Miku was not happy about it and tried twice to make good her threat, but one angry kitten deterred her both times. My week in bed did allow me to care for Sundae, and we did bond. I took her with me on tour much to Miku's dismay. By then, Sundae was eating solid food and using a cat box._

 _Sundae grew bigger and reached 12 weeks of age. I knew I was going to have to part with her soon. Little did I know of the twins begging Miku to let Sundae stay, or Akaito telling her he didn't want me to be sad. I was recovering from a Meniere's attack with Sundae curled up by my head when Miku came into my room._

" _I'm taking her to the shelter tomorrow." I didn't bother opening my eyes._

" _Kaito, Sundae has already found her forever home." Miku said._

" _Where?"_

" _Here. I'm letting her stay. I saw how happy you are with her, and well, I don't want you to be sad. Sundae is yours."_

" _Am I experiencing a fever delusion?"_

" _Kaito." Miku chuckled, "She is your cat. I'm letting you keep her."_

" _Really? You are not going to change your mind?"_

" _I promise, I won't."_

" _Hear that, Sundae? You get to stay! Ow! I'm okay! I moved my head and the migraine reacted."_

 **Kaito**

"You have been my girl since. I love you, Sundae." I hugged my cat before setting her down, "I have to go. You can't follow me to where I'm going. Goodbye, Sundae." I stood. "I wish we had more than two years to know each other." Walking away from Sundae broke something inside me. I turned and looked. She was sitting on the stairs watching with a heartbroken look on her face. I knew she understood what I was doing.

I ran into Miku next. She did not make a move toward me, but she was crying.

"Miku," I tried.

"No, don't even try it! I'm mad, Kaito! Why? Mieko is blaming herself for not realizing sooner that you were sick! Why did you not tell us you were getting sick? Why?" Miku screamed.

"I did not know, Miku." I responded, "My fatigue I blamed on my very busy life. My headaches I blamed on my Meniere's. My shortness of breath I blamed for not being in good shape. I never felt palpations, and I never put my fainting spells in with my other symptoms. I did go see my doctor. My dosage of metformin was increased, and I started walking more. No one put two and two together. ES is very rare. My case is the 40th known case in the Empire and the 400th case worldwide. The only reason Dr. Hart knew of it was because he'd just reviewed a paper on it by a fellow cardiology professor. I honestly did not know."

"That week you spent at Mercy due to your fainting spells, why didn't we push for more tests?" Miku asked.

"I was in Mercy because I got impaled by an iron fence post." I reminded her.

"That was because you fainted behind the wheel! You are lucky Rin wasn't hurt!"

"Rin told me she was not mad at me. I am glad she was there. She kept her head and did not panic. She got help and stayed by me, keeping me calm and not letting me bleed out."

"Len was supposed to be in the car with you."

"He was home sick with a fever." I knew what she was getting at. If Len had been in his seat at the time of the accident, he would have been impaled on the same post I had been impaled on. He would have ended up paralyzed too, and I knew he would have remained that way for life. I should have been left that way for life, but being the stubborn person I am, I refused to believe the doctors words. I worked hard and four weeks later, I took my first shaky steps toward Rin and Len. Four weeks later, I was back where I belonged.

"You've never forgiven me."

"Gee, you think? You could have killed Rin!"

"I could have, but it didn't happen. I came to say goodbye, Miku."

"Goodbye, Kaito!" Miku stormed off.

There was one last person I needed to see. I was not looking forward to this one. My feet took me outside to the garden. I came to an area where several varieties of chili peppers were being grown. Akaito was just up ahead. He was wearing only a pair of blue jeans and red work boots along with a pair of red garden gloves. He was pulling weeds from around his beloved plants. He sat back and used his arm to wipe sweat off his brow. I knew Miku was watching from a window, and probably drooling over my brother's well-muscled bronze frame.

"Kaito." Akaito looked up and stood, pulling a red hand towel out of his pocket to mop up the sweat glistening on his body.

"Showing off for a certain someone?" I arched an eyebrow.

Akaito blushed and looked away, "Maybe?"

"Would that someone have teal pigtails, and be watching from the window? Is that Len I see with a mop?" I teased.

"Oh stop it." Akaito looked up at the window where Miku blushed and shut the curtain. "Now don't be that way. So, why are you here?"

"I came to say good bye, Akaito."

"What? No! You are not dying!"

"I am, Akaito. Take care of Miku, and don't lose her. She loves you."

"Please, don't go! You are my other half, my better half!" Akaito teared up, "You have to hold on, Kaito!"

"I'm done. I'm tired. I have nothing left to give."

"This can't be how your story ends!"

"My story was always meant to be short. Yours is long with new chapters ahead. Go on, and live for me."

"No! You can't do this to me!" Akaito's tears mingled with the sweat on his face, "Kaito, don't leave me! I don't want to be alone!"

"I'm sorry, Akaito. I love you, brother. Goodbye."

"No! Don't go!" That was the last I heard from Akaito as I faded from view.

"Kaito!"

I was back in the between world of the hospital. I turned to see Kiki.

"Come with me. I'm not supposed to do this, but let's just say an intervention is being staged." Kiki led me into a waiting room. "They are all asleep in the outside world. I brought their souls here so they can talk to you. They all agreed to my request. You don't have to die. Just hear them out. I also brought Yoholoid too."

I turned and faced the Vocaloids, Jodye, and Yoholoid. I waited.

"Kaito, I have hired Jodye as my backup dancer. She will come on tour with me in the New Year. I'll make sure she is taken care of, and that these guys recover from losing you." Yoholoid broke the silence.

"We are here to convince him to live you dolt!" Rin snapped.

"If he wants to go, we should let him go." Kiki translated for Jodye.

"You too?" Len asked. Kiki signed his words for Jodye.

"I know it is hard, but hasn't Kaito suffered enough? Why are you all being so selfish?" Yoholoid stood, "Can't you see he is in pain?"

"Letting him go is the kindest thing you can do for him." Jodye joined Yoholoid's side.

"He's my twin brother!" Akaito cried out.

"The point of this intervention is to convince Kaito to stay, not go!" Rin glared at the pink haired singer and deaf dancer.

"Are we really being selfish?" Gakupo asked out loud.

"GAKUPO!" Rin screamed.

"He is right. We are being selfish. We are thinking about ourselves and how it will hurt us. Kaito is hurting too. You want to stay, don't you, Kaito?" Mieko asked.

"I do want to stay. I never wanted to hurt you like this. This does hurt me too. I don't want to say good bye." I replied.

"Stay then!" Rin snapped.

"I can't. My ES has won." I looked away.

"Has it truly won?" Miku rose and went to my side, "Please, don't give up."

"You've been fighting so hard." Luka came over, "If you can't fight for yourself, fight instead for all of us. We all are with you."

"I hope I'm not late."

"About time you turned up Al!" Akaito said, "Kindly knock some sense into my brother please."

"So," Al came up to me, "I hear you are trying to die. Welp, NOT ON MY WATCH! YOU WILL LIVE, OR ELSE I'll RAISE YOU FROM THE DEAD AND PUT YOU BACK SIX FEET UNDER MYSELF! Did that work?"

"Al, you are not helping." Luka shook her head, "See? Even Al cares."

"We will all miss you." Jodye signed with Kiki translating, "I want to say thank you to you, Kaito. Dancing with you was fun. I get to dance with Yoholoid now. I hoped we could dance together again. I won't stop dancing."

"Please, get better." Al broke in, "We all do care. You are our friend. Friends don't let friends go without a fight."

"Live for us. No matter what happens, no matter what shape you are in, we will stay by your side. We will help you recover. Even if you end up as a vegetable, we will bring you home and care for you." Akaito promised, "You must live."

"What kind of vegetable?" Len quipped.

"LEN!" Rin slapped him, "That was not funny, nor is this the time for one of your jokes!"

"I…" I turned away from them and lowered my head, "I…" The words seemed to stick in my throat, "I…" I took a deep breath and turned around, "I will keep fighting, but promise me you will let them kill me if I end up as a vegetable."

"I promise." Akaito promised.

"I may still lose anyway. Please, don't stop performing. Keep performing for me. As long as this world has music, I will live on." I responded, "If I do lose, don't stop living."

"We promise." Nine voices and one set of hands promised.

 **Queen Sunstar: Next chapter, a heart and lungs are finally found, and Kaito defies science by waking up when he shouldn't even be awake. Things are going to get much worse.**


	13. Good News at last

**Queen Sunstar: Get ready to meet a few members of the Shion Family. I based several family members on my own family members. Kaito defies the odds by waking up when he shouldn't be able to wake up. Jodye is making a small appearance.**

 **Aunt Shion is based upon my grandpa's sister, a known cheek pincher. Miki, Taito, and Mitaiko are based upon my cousin and his family, and they do have twins on the way. Zaito is based on my dad's brother. Vaita is based upon my sister. Xaito is based on my second cousin, a career military man. I use my own family for inspiration. Yes, my family is huge. I'm pretty sure my family is responsible for about half the world's population.**

 **KAITO**

I felt myself being pulled on. Hallways sped by. The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes. A man was sitting behind the ECMO. He looked over and gasped.

"You are awake! I didn't think you would wake up! I'm Yuma, the day tech. You've been in a coma for days. Hang on." Yuma pushed a button.

Gumi, Ann, and Dr. Hart ran in. All three of them froze upon seeing me.

"That's not medically possible!" Dr. Hart sputtered.

"How did he? You did remove his heart, right?" Gumi asked.

"I did! He's supposed to remain in his coma until I get a new heart for him!" Dr. Hart answered.

"I tend to do the impossible." Unable to talk due to the two ventilator tubes in my mouth, I signed.

"I can see that. There are two people out here that want to see you." Dr. Hart shooed his nurses out. Yoholoid and Jodye walked into the room. Jodye ran to my side.

"You woke up!" She signed, "I've got so much I want to say to you. First, Mrs. Shia got fired! I love my new math teacher, Mr. Shion! He is so awesome, and it does help that he is handsome too."

I knew which cousin she was signing about, "That would be a cousin of mine. Let's see, does he have bright green hair, green eyes, wear wire rimmed glasses, gush over fractions and square roots?" I signed back,

"Yes, he does!"

"That's Saito. He's a prodigy like me. He loves teaching. He knew he was going to be a math teacher way back when we were five. They put us in an advanced math class when we were seven."

"My parents decided I needed more stability so they let Yoholoid become my legal guardian, and in January, we go on tour! I can't wait to dance by his side!"

The door opened again. Akaito walked in, pushing Miku in a wheelchair. Her right arm was in a cast along with her left ankle. They both froze upon seeing me.

"Dr. Hart, you said it wasn't medically possible for him to be awake." Akaito said.

"Push me closer, Akaito!" Miku replied.

"It's not, yet I'm seeing it." Dr. Hart walked over to me and checked monitors, "You got a bad infection that reached your heart. It started to necrotize so I had to remove it. You are dependent on the ECMO to stay alive. I still haven't found a heart."

"I want to get closer!" Miku begged. Akaito brought her to my side, "I've been worried sick about you." She saw my questioning look, "I got hit by two cars. I'll heal. I get to be in this chair for a few weeks."

Ann ran in, clearly excited.

"Davis, a heart has been found! A heart has been found! Neru, our daughter, is bringing it here along with a set of lungs!"

"Really? That is good news!" Dr. Hart hugged his wife, "When do they arrive?"

"Early tomorrow morning. They are from a woman named Haku. She died on the table after a car crash. Before going under the knife, she told them to donate her organs should she die. They are a match for Kaito." Ann explained.

"Yes! Yes! Our prayer has been answered!" Akaito pulled out his cell phone, "Gakupo, Akaito. Guess what? Kaito is awake! I'm not kidding! It's no joke!" Akaito winced and pulled the phone from his ear, "Go ahead and get the kids! I want to tell you all in person a surprise! No, Miku is not pregnant. We are planning to start our family after we've been married a few years!"

It wasn't long until five more people arrived. Akaito broke the news. Rin and Mieko both squealed in excitement. Len bounced in place with Jodye. Gakupo pumped his fist in the air. Miku was crying along with Luka, who was hugging her.

"Don't get too excited. He is not out of danger yet. Things can go wrong easily with transplants. He'll have to be on immune system suppressing drugs for the rest of his life. That means if he gets sick, he won't be able to fight off the infection too well. There is rejection to worry about too." Dr. Hart replied.

"He will get better, right?" Rin asked.

"He will, if all goes well. Tomorrow morning, I'm doing the heart transplant only. I want to make sure his body won't reject it before I allow Teto to do the lung transplant." Dr. Hart explained.

Gumi walked over to me.

"This will hurt. Just don't go through the roof." She picked up a round bulb connected to my chest by a clear tube, "I'm really sorry, but it has to be done. Basically, I'm going to suck out the fluid from your incision." She squeezed the bulb, and I was thankful I was unable to scream. It hurt. It was like someone was stabbing me repeatedly with a hot branding iron. Tears were running down my cheeks by the time Gumi was finished. She disconnected the full bulb and connected a new one. Taking a soft cloth, she dried my tears. "I really hate having to do that, but it must be done. I don't have to do it again until morning, but since you'll be getting your new heart, you may not have to go through it."

 **LEN**

"Whose lungs and heart is he going to get?" I asked.

"They are coming from a woman named Haku." Ann explained.

"He's getting a girls heart and lungs!" I started laughing.

"LEN!" Rin pulled a fan from nowhere and proceeded to whack me with it, "Now is not the time or place for jokes!"

"Twins." Miku warned, "I'll have Gakupo take you both home and make you do chores."

Rin stopped whacking me quickly. I went to Kaito's side. Having two ventilator tubes in your mouth could not be comfortable. His eyes were still dull, but they followed me as I got closer. He was still very pale save for a flush to his cheeks from having his incision drained, and was very skinny. He'd lost more weight despite the feeding tube. Every bone in his body was visible. I knew he was very weak. Dr. Hart had told us he had to remove Kaito's heart due to it necrotizing from infection. I had asked how he could survive without a heart, and Dr. Hart explained that the ECMO would do the job of pumping blood through his body until a heart became available, but Kaito couldn't stay on the ECMO for long. I was still worried.

"Before I forget, would it be possible for me to bring his cat, Sundae, to see him?" Miku turned to Dr. Hart.

"It's fine by me, but you'll have to ask Monica." Dr. Hart replied, "I encourage visits by pets. Many times, I've seen miracles happen when pets come see their people. I saw a cat help bring his mistress out of her coma. Here, I need to report this to Monica, so you can ask her when she gets here." Dr. Hart paged Monica, who came into the room. Yoholoid and Jodye had to leave to go practice for their tour.

"How? That's not possible!" Monica gasped, "I'm seeing it, but I do not believe it!"

"Miku has a question for you." Dr. Hart said.

"Would it be okay to bring Sundae, Kaito's cat, in to see him?" Miku asked.

"You may. Pets are very welcome here. We had a beagle come with his master and stay by his side through his recovery. I encourage pet visits as I've seen that it helps with recovery. In fact, I once read a story about how a male cat brought his mistress out of her coma by giving her kisses and purring." Monica nodded, "Just make sure the pet is well behaved."

"Sundae is well behaved. I'll go get her." Mieko left. The medical staff minus Yuma left the room.

"Sundae is coming. She has been missing you." Miku said.

I saw Kaito's eyes brighten a bit. I knew he'd missed Sundae too and probably couldn't wait to see her. He had rescued her after all. It had taken some work to convince Miku to let her stay, and I'm sure the giant rat in her bedroom that Sundae had ran in and killed while Miku stood on her vanity and screamed had helped. Mieko returned carrying Sundae. She was wearing her light blue harness with the ice cream cone design and had a matching leash connecting to her harness. She was quivering in excitement. Mieko set her down on Kaito's bed and undid the leash. Sundae carefully avoided the wires running off Kaito's body as she moved to settle in her favorite spot by Kaito's neck, her head placed just so under his chin. We heard her loud purr. I often swore Sundaes loud purr could wake the dead. Kaito tried to move his hand to pet his cat. I reached out and helped him, guiding his hand to Sundae's body. Sundae seemed to understand that Kaito was too weak to make the petting motions so she rubbed her head on his hand, occasionally sticking her head under his hand and raising it so his hand slid down her body. It was very sweet to watch.

"I see improvements over here. Pets are amazing. I actually watched a boy go from nearly dead to surviving after his parents brought him his dog. The love of a pet is one of Nature's best medicines." Yuma said.

"Does that mean he will pull through?" I asked hopefully.

"Not necessarily, but it does mean his chances of survival have improved a bit." Yuma answered.

Kaito's eyes closed as sleep overtook him. Sundae laid her head against his chin and closed her eyes too. She wrapped her forepaws around his shoulder, her tail curled around her. We stayed, talking about nothing in particular while Kaito slept. Dr. Hart stopped by from time to time to check machines and talk with us. Several hours drifted by. A knock sounded at the door. Akaito called out a come in. A man with green hair and green eyes behind wire rimmed glasses came into the room.

"This is my cousin, Saito. He is a math teacher at the middle school now. Just don't mention fractions or square roots." Akaito introduced, "Who else is coming?"

"Zaito is flying out to get Taito and his wife and daughter tomorrow, Aunt Shion is driving in tonight, the other two members of the quads, Caito, and Baito are already here, Mikaito, and his wife are flying in day after tomorrow, Hikaito is here, Akaita and her husband are coming, Akaitu is flying in with Mikaito, Nekaito is flying in from Australia with his wife and kids, Mekaitu and Mekaita are on their way, Gaito, Haito, Maito, Naito, and Dekaita are flying in from England, Raita and Arkaita are coming, and Vaita is outside, waiting to come in. Good luck." Saito replied.

"Geez Akaito, just how big is your family?" Gakupo asked.

"There is close to a million members of the Shion Family. Come in, Vaita." Akaito paled.

"Actually, there are 2135 Shion Family members all together, with numbers 2136, 2137, and 2138 on the way." Saito replied.

A woman with hot pink hair cut super short with hot pink eyes entered the room. It was clear she was a Shion as she shared the same basic face as Akaito and Saito. She marched over to Akaito and slapped him.

"That's for not calling and telling me about Kaito!" She hissed at her red headed cousin, "I found out on the news of all places!"

"Calm down, Vaita." Akaito rubbed his sore cheek.

"Just wait until Aunt Shion gets here. If she doesn't drop kick you six feet under, I'll be surprised. So, what is the word?" Vaita calmed down, "Who are they?"

"They are my band mates. That's Len and over there is Rin. They are twins. The guy with the long purple hair is Gakupo, and the woman with short brown hair is Mieko. That's Luka over there, and in the wheelchair right here is Miku." Akaito introduced everyone and explained Kaito's condition.

"Oh Akaito!" a very refined and very familiar voice to Akaito called out.

"She's here?" Akaito wailed.

"We drove down together." Vaita grinned, "I hope she pinches your cheek off."

"Vaita! Come in, Auntie." Akaito cringed.

Aunt Shion entered the room. She was tall and thin with the same pink hair and eyes as Vaita. She was wearing a pale pink skirt with a white dress shirt and matching pink jacket with light pink heels. She ignored Akaito and swept toward Kaito. Sundae raised her head.

"Oh hello, sweetie. You were a tiny little thing when I saw you last, Sundae." She looked over Kaito, "He looks terrible. Akaito, was it the curse?"

"Mom, it's not a curse!" Vaita hissed.

"It's called ES, which stands for Eisenmenger Syndrome. For the last time it is not a curse. It is a heart disease that we male Shions are predisposed to. I don't have the genes for it. He does." Akaito said drily, "That is why he got sick and I didn't. If your sister had allowed that surgery when we were ten, we wouldn't be here."

"My sister is your mother." Aunt Shion snapped, "Kaita did not want the surgery because of the risks associated with it. She felt that Kaito was too sickly to survive it. Watch your tone, mister."

Vaita noticed the ring on a chain around Miku's neck.

"Akaito, why does… Miki have our family ring?" She asked.

Aunt Shion turned to look, and gasped, realizing the significance of the ring.

"It's Miku, and I have asked her to marry me. She can't wear the ring until her hand heals." Akaito said.

Vaita and Aunt Shion both let out high pitched squeals, causing us to clap our hands over our ears. Kaito thankfully didn't wake up, but Sundaes head snapped up and she gave a sharp cry.

"There's going to be another wedding at the estate!" Vaita squealed.

"There's lots of work to do to get it ready!" Aunt Shion squealed back, "I'll have to dig out my wedding dress!"

"That is enough, you two." Akaito cut in, "The wedding is not going to happen for a while yet, not until he is fully recovered."

"Of course, dear! It will take a while to get the estate back in shape!" Aunt Shion replied.

Miku turned to look at Akaito. Her expression said it all. Akaito sighed.

"Miku, those two are legally insane." He said.

"I heard that!" Vaita growled, "Mom, we need to make a list of what needs to be done and plan our attack."

"Yes sweetheart. I know Kaito has done his best to keep the estate in shape, but it has fallen into some disrepair." Aunt Shion turned to Miku and Akaito, "I offer you two my skill as a wedding planner, free of charge of course. I am a professional wedding planner after all."

"Don't worry Miku; most of my family is sane, well except for Zaito. He's a psychic detective, and Aunt Shion is his mother." Akaito said.

"That would be nice." Miku said, "That saves us having to find a wedding planner."

"What is a psychic detective?" I asked.

"Zaito deals with supernatural murder cases. He can see a victims last moments of life by holding their hand. He can fight spirits and deal with demons too. You can ask him about it when he comes tomorrow, after school." Akaito explained.

"The others are going to drop by tomorrow. Everybody is worried about Kaito." Vaita said.

"I need to head out. I have papers to grade and lessons to plan. I love my job. There is nothing better than watching a student's eyes light up when they solve an equation." Saito said, turning to face Kaito, "You need to get better. Once you are able, we are having a math duel, and we know who will cream who." He left.

"Mom and I better get going too." Vaita said.

"So should we. You kids need dinner and I know you have homework." Mieko turned to face me and Rin, "You too, Luka."

"I'll go too." Gakupo said.

 **MIKU**

The room emptied. I turned to face Akaito.

"Am I going to meet your entire family?" I asked.

"You'll meet most of them. We are not exactly a close-knit family. You won't meet Xaito or his huge family. He won't have anything to do with the Shion Family, and he is one of Aunt Shion's children. She had 12 children all together, and all living. Vaita is her youngest and her pride and joy. Xaito is her oldest. Aunt Shion has married five times, so not everyone has the same father. There is a rumor that Xaito's father, Aunt Shion's first husband, was sexually abusive to him. It is said that Aunt Shion killed him in self-defense, but we all know she did it to stop the abuse Xaito was going through. Husband number two, father of the next three kids, Maito, Gaito, and Raito, died in a work accident, husband number three, father of Zaiko and Taiko lost his life in a car accident, husband number four, father of the quads, Taito, Zaito, Caito, and Baito, lost his life protecting his family from an intruder, and husband number five, father of Akaitu and Vaita, is still alive. You likely won't meet him because he suffers from Agoraphobia. He can't leave his house. I'm not sure if Aunt Shion is still married to him. You likely won't meet 1875 members of the Shion Family. You will meet the rest." Akaito explained.

"Knock Knock!" a male voice called out.

"Come in, Zaito. Hey, Taito, Miki, and Mitaiko. I thought you guys were flying in tomorrow? Meet my future wife, Miku." Akaito introduced.

"I borrowed the police copter." Zaito said, "Not to worry, I sent it back. Hello, Miku. Akaito has told me a lot about you. Welcome to the sometimes insane but dysfunctional Shion Family." Zaito shook my hand. He moved to stand by Kaito, "He looks so terrible. I've never seen him look this bad."

"I'm Taito, and this is my wife, Miki, and my daughter, Mitaiko." Taito introduced himself and his family, shaking my hand, "Welcome to the family."

"Hello." Mitaiko curtsied, "I'm Mitaiko. It is nice to meet you." The girl was as cute as a button with her dark purple, nearly black hair in a braid and her big violet eyes. Miki smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Miku. You'll get used to the family." Miki had long violet hair worn in an intricate up do. Her eyes were violet, showing where Mitaiko had inherited her eyes. Taito was a dead ringer for Akaito with his features and dark purple hair. He wore an eye patch over one eye. Zaito could easily pass for Akaito too. His hair was black and his eyes the same shade of red as Akaito's eyes. Mikaito moved to stand by her uncle. I tried to wheel myself closer to Kaito's side. Taito pitched in and moved my chair for me.

"Why does Uncle Kaito look so blue?" Mitaiko asked.

Sundae rose and stretched before walking down the bed to sit before Mitaiko, who began to scratch her behind the ears. I decided to field the question.

"Kaito looks blue because he has something called Cyanosis. Cyanosis means that his blood is not carrying oxygen very well. His lungs are not working right like his heart." I explained, deciding not to say anything about the fact that Kaito didn't have a heart. I liked the little girl. She and her parents were very nice. She would make an adorable flower girl too.

"I know what that big machine is! It is an ECMO!" Mitaiko said, "The two machines over there are ven, vent, ventylaters!"

"It's pronounced ventilator." Zaito corrected gently.

"Ventilator." Mitaiko tried, struggling a bit with the unfamiliar word, "Will Uncle Kaito get better?"

Zaito looked at his niece's father, who nodded. He knelt so he was eye level with Mitaiko. It was clear that Zaito loved his niece.

"Well, Kaito is very, very sick right now. We don't know yet if he will get better." Zaito did not sugarcoat the truth. "I hear you are going to be a big sister."

"I am!" the little girl got excited; "Mommy says I'm getting two brothers or sisters!"

I liked Zaito. He was good with his niece. I liked how he tempered the bad news by reminding Mitaiko of good news.

"Two?" Zaito acted surprised, "I thought you were getting one brother or sister!"

"Yes, there are two babies in mommy's tummy!"

"Do you want brothers or sisters?"

"I want both!"

I couldn't help but smile. The interaction between niece and uncle was adorable. I closed my eyes. Would I ever get to see this with my future children and Kaito?

"Are you okay, Aunt Miku?"

"I'm okay." I opened my eyes and smiled at the five year old girl. I turned and watched Akaito talk with Taito and Miki. It was clear that he was close with this part of his family. I hoped I would get to be close to this part too someday.

"Are you sad?"

I realized I had been crying, "I am a little sad. Kaito is my friend and I don't like to see him so very sick." I replied.

"Like a boyfriend?"

"No, no not like that. He is my best friend. His brother, Akaito, is my boyfriend. He is going to be my husband soon."

"I don't like to see Uncle Kaito sick ether." Mitaiko brightened suddenly, "May I color on your cast?"

"Yes you can." I smiled.

"Let's go find you a marker." Zaito understood my intent. He opened his briefcase, "I bet I have some markers in here." He pulled out a box of eight markers, "Here we are! I have a color book in here too."

Mitaiko took the box of markers and went to work on my ankle cast. There was another knock and the door opened to reveal a man with blue hair and eyes. He wore a blue and white military uniform. He looked just like Kaito. In fact, he could pass for Kaito if he wanted to. He carried himself with proud military bearing.

"Xaito?" Taito broke the silence.

"Why?" Akaito asked.

Xaito didn't speak. He walked into the room and went to Kaito's side. He stood solemnly, staring down at his sick cousin. He finally spoke.

"I wish you didn't have to face this battle too." His voice was soft and quiet.

"Xaito, I thought you hated us." Zaito stood.

"I don't, and I never have. I hated the man that dared to call me his son." Xaito turned to his brother, "I came here to see if it was true, and I see that it is. Kaito is fighting the same battle I once fought. I never got as bad as this. I had every symptom except edema and cyanosis."

"You had ES too?" I asked.

"I did. I only survived thanks to Step-Dad. His work related accident wasn't entirely an accident. He got himself killed so he could save my life. His heart beats inside me now." Xaito answered, kneeling and kissing my hand, "You are very lovely. Akaito is blessed to have you."

I blushed. Akaito cleared his throat. Xaito rolled his eyes at him.

"You don't do things like this and it's freaking me out!" Akaito stood.

"I'm still a Shion, and I still care." Xaito drew himself up to his full height, towering two heads over Akaito, "I found out from my Captain, and for a while, I suffered with indecision. After a talk with my Captain, I decided that I should come and see him at least once."

"Xaito, it might be best that you leave and let Akaito cool off. This does hurt him far more than the rest of us. To us, Kaito is our cousin. To Akaito, he is his twin brother. There is no bond stronger than that between twins." Taito intervened.

"I understand Akaito's pain. I'm a quad, remember?" Zaito said.

"So am I." Taito finished, "If it were Zaito, Baito, or Caito in that bed, I wouldn't be taking it as well as Akaito has."

"Niether would I, and I am the oldest." Zaito rose to face his brother.

"Don't ether of you start that again!" Akaito cut between the brothers, "Kaito and I never fought about birth order."

"That's because your birth was broadcasted on national TV. You two were Mono-Mono with twin to twin syndrome. You know how rare that is. It is also why Kaito has always been the weaker twin. He was never supposed to survive being born." Xaito replied.

"He has constantly beaten the odds. He was actually awake a few hours ago." Akaito said, "There was that car accident in which he was told he would never walk again."

"He was walking on his own six weeks later and back on stage dancing two weeks after that. I know he'll defy the odds again. That's what he does." Zaito answered, "I was one of the first responders to the accident."

"All done!" Mitaiko said, "Look, aunt Miku! I drew you a flower!"

"That is a pretty flower. Thank you, Mitaiko." I hugged the little girl, "There is some good news. Kaito will undergo the heart transplant tomorrow morning. Depending on how everything goes, he'll undergo the bilateral lung transplant later in the week."

"Speaking of tomorrow morning, it is way past the time little girls should be in bed." Miki yawned.

"We'll be here tomorrow." They left, leaving me, Akaito, Yuma, and Xaito alone with Kaito.

"I am going to leave too. Bring him back to us, Akaito, and Miku." Xaito turned to leave.

"We're trying." Akaito called after him, "We are not miracle workers."

"Nobody is." Yuma said, "Not even Dr. Hart. You are helping Kaito just by being here. So is Sundae."

Sundae had returned to her spot. She looked up at the sound of her name and yawned. I heard the door open. Gumi came in wheeling a bed.

"I have a feeling you two are going to stay with Kaito again tonight, so here is the bed." Gumi set it up quickly, "Yuma, Neru is going to take over for you at midnight, so hang in there."

"I can go days without sleep. I'll be fine." Yuma answered.

"Where is Sonika?" I asked.

"She had a family emergency, something about her little sister." Yuma said, "She regrets that she can't be here. You guys will just love Neru. She is Ann and Davis's only daughter. She can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get to know her, you'll love her. She is one of our most popular nurse techs here. Get some sleep you two. Kaito is scheduled for surgery at two in the morning. Miku, if you need help at all, you can let me know. I can call in Gumi or Ann to assist you."

"That's fine and thanks. I've pretty much mastered getting in and out of my chair." I stood on my good leg and sat down on the bed. Akaito handed me a cup of water and my pills. I was on a painkiller and an antibiotic as a precaution against infection. I carefully laid down. Akaito took his own painkiller and joined me, pulling me close to him with his good arm. His ribs and shoulder were still tender, but the stitches on his neck had been removed by Ann a day ago. We both winced as we settled down for the night, trying not to aggravate our injuries any further.

 **Queen Sunstar: Next chapter, Kaito gets his new heart, but not all is well with him. Mieko is going to have a POV along with Gakupo.**


	14. Loss

**Queen Sunstar: I decided to move the ending friendship to the following chapter. The way this one ends, please don't kill me, Kaito fans. Just wait for the following chapter. Gakupo and Mieko have the POV's here, and Jodye returns. Don't worry; she won't end up high jacking the story again.**

 **GAKUPO**

After making sure Luka was in bed and not reading under the covers again, I headed to my own room upstairs. Mieko was in my bed waiting for me. She gave me one of her saucy smiles and pulled the sheet down, showing off one bare shoulder. I felt one part of me grow with desire. Mieko revealed more of her lithe body to me, and I nearly ripped my robes getting them off. Up next was my blue cyber suit. Kicking it off, I joined Mieko in bed.

"Make me too sore to walk for a week." Mieko purred seductively.

I was happy to comply. After two hours of hard love making, we cuddled.

"Something is missing." Mieko said.

"Yes. Kaito didn't yell at us to keep it down." I replied.

"And you would shout back at him that he needed to find a lover."

"And we would go another round and be louder just to tick him off."

"What if our noise contributed to his current condition?"

"Don't. Dr. Hart told us it wasn't because of anything we did. He's had ES since birth. Now, how about we go another round?"

"I get to be on top."

"Deal."

After another hour, we got up and cleaned up. Mieko put on her robe and turned to leave.

"You are not staying?" I asked.

"Not tonight."

"Why not?"

"Please don't."

"Was it something I did?"

"No, it wasn't. I did enjoy myself. I don't want to talk about it."

"Mieko please-"

"No! Please, let me go!"

"No, I will not let you go until you tell me what is wrong!"

"Stop being pushy! Let me go, Gakupo!"

I reluctantly let her go. Mieko ran from my room. I heard her crying as she left. What have I done? What was wrong with Mieko? I sat on my bed in stunned silence. Mieko was the first girl to not run when I told her that I was bisexual. I have had both male and female lovers. Mieko was different. My sexuality did not bother her.

Growing up, I had always been told that I was simply confused, that I would figure it out when I got older. When I came out as bisexual, I was ostracized. My friends left. I became a loner. That was fine by me. I didn't need anyone. My mother often called me her brave little Samurai. The only place I felt safe was in the town library. My mother was the town librarian. I spent many hours reading any and everything I could get my hands on about samurais. My father encouraged my study on Samurais. He taught me the way of the samurai, and of our proud family history. I am descended from Kaumi, an ancient Samurai that became emperor of Japan. The Kaumi Dynasty still rules Japan today. My father was the third prince of Japan, making me 4th in line for the throne. If I absolutely had to, I would take the throne without a fuss. It was actually starting to look like I would end up on the throne. Could that be what was bothering Mieko? I would never force her to be my Empress. She was only 19. Was it our five year age difference? I sighed and put my head into my hands. What could be wrong?

Heaving another sigh, I got up. Sleep just wasn't going to happen. I walked down into the basement and walked over to a pair of paper sliding doors. Opening them, I stepped into my studio. I walked over to the far wall. There was a sword rack with two swords upon it. One was Sukaumi, my family's treasure. It was a katana believed forged by the gods and given to Kaumi so he could take down the Swallower of Worlds. The story of Kaumi and the Swallower of Worlds had been my favorite story growing up. The second sword was an English sword with a blue hilt inlaid with a faded sapphire. This was Shion, the treasure of the Shion Family. Both blades were ancient. Shion was a few hundred years younger than Sukaumi. I reached up and took Shion down. Carrying it, I walked over to my table and began polishing the blade. The sapphire remained dull, no matter what I did to it. I had made a promise to Kaito that I would maintain the sword. As I worked, I recalled the sparing matches between me and Kaito. We would really get into it, even dueling in full costume once. I had been surprised to find out that Kaito knew how to handle a sword. As part of his new exercise routine, we started sparring together. I made sure we took plenty of breaks and that we stayed hydrated. Kaito did faint on me a few times. All of us had started carrying around syringes filled with his medication by then and it was no problem making sure to use it when he did faint.

Drops of water fell onto the newly polished blade. I felt tears sliding down my cheeks. Would Kaito and I ever spar again? Would he even be able to once he recovered? Would he recover? No, don't let those thoughts in. He will recover. Stay positive. Kaito will get better. I put my head down on my table. Why hadn't we not even noticed that Kaito was getting sick? How did Kaito lose so much weight in front of us without us even realizing? I thought about this. Now that I was really thinking about it, I started to see what I did not want to see. Kaito's jackets had started to look big on him. He had gone down several sizes in clothes. He had not eaten with us at the dinner table very often. He had sung less often at our concerts. We didn't spar very much anymore. Kaito did kid duty less and less. When was the last time I'd actually seen him eat ice cream?

Brain, this is getting ridiculous. You need to shut down and let me rest. What is with Mieko? Brain, please, stop. Just stop. I got up and put the sword back up on the rack. I returned to my room. I could still hear Mieko crying. Getting into bed, I tried to sleep. Footsteps padded up the hall and stopped. My door opened.

"Gakupo? Are you awake?" Luka asked.

"Yeah, I'm awake. What is wrong?" I rolled over and sat up. Luka came and sat beside me, "Can't sleep?"

"I'm too worried about Kaito. I did some thinking, and I started seeing what I didn't see before." Luka explained about what I had realized earlier. Two sets of footsteps reached my open bedroom door. Two messy blond heads peeked into the room.

"Come here." I said.

The twins entered and joined me and Luka on my bed. I waited. Rin and Len were silent.

"You two have come to the same realization we have, right?" Luka filled them in.

"We did." Rin nodded.

"I hate myself." Len replied, "What did you do to Mieko?"

"I'm going to go find out what is wrong, and I know it wasn't me." I got up and went to Mieko's room. Mieko was curled up in her bed, crying hard into her pillow. I sat on her bed.

"Will you please leave?" Mieko didn't bother to look at me.

"I will, after I explain something to you. Luka and the Kagamine twins have both come to the same thing I did." I explained everything again to Mieko. Her next move surprised me. She shot into my arms and kissed me. My eyes went wide.

"You don't know how much better you just made me feel." Mieko smiled through her tears, "I thought I was the only one to notice!"

"I thought the same thing." I smiled, and returned the kiss, "So, want to join the party in my room? Luka and the twins decided they didn't want to go back to their rooms."

"They are scared. They love Kaito too. He is their big brother figure." Mieko said, "Let's go join them. We'll have a little sleepover. I think it will be for the best that they don't go to school tomorrow. I know they will want to be with us at the hospital."

"I'm game." We returned to my room, "Who is up for a little sleepover?"

"I am!" Rin and Len called out together.

"I call futon, and Rin!" Luka added, as she and Rin both scrambled for the futon.

"Hey! I didn't get a chance!" Len called cheerfully as he claimed his spot on my bed, "I call the middle of the bed!"

"I'll take the side of the bed by the window!" giggling, Mieko claimed her spot.

"That leaves me the side of the bed by the door." I got into bed after closing said door, "No one has to go to school tomorrow. I know you three will want to see Kaito after he is out of surgery. Remember the rules and follow them."

"We know. Don't wake Kaito if he is sleeping, don't fight around him, and keep the noise down." Len recited.

"Assist when asked to only." Rin put in.

"Be on our best behavior, or we won't get to come back." Luka finished.

"Very good." Mieko said, "Make sure you obey those rules."

"If any of you break those rules, I've got chore lists for you, and you will not be allowed to see Kaito for one day. Did I make myself clear, Len?"

"Yeah, Len, did he make himself clear enough for you?" Rin jeered.

"Crystal clear!" Len squeaked out, "That goes for you two too! Hey wait a minute here! Why am I being singled out?"

"Hmm, maybe it's because you are the one that usually breaks the rules?" Luka asked.

"I don't break the rules!" Len cried out. Rin snickered. "Okay fine, I broke the rules once." Luka snickered, "So it was twice!" Mieko snickered. "Fine! I'm always breaking the rules! I won't break the rules this time!"

"Really?" I asked, watching Len squirm.

"Seriously, I won't even touch the rules! You can trust me!"

"Like the time you lost control of the road roller and crashed through the house?" Rin asked.

"Or the time you left a banana peel on the stairs to the basement and caused Kaito to slip and end up with a concussion?" Luka added.

"Or the time you fell through the paper door into Gakupo's studio?" Mieko added.

"So it was you who put the hole in my door. You are lucky the paper I use was on sale." I glared at the blond boy.

"Okay! I get the point! I can't be trusted!" Len's ears turned red, "I'll prove that I can be trusted this time!"

"Gakupo, I bet you one fried eggplant sandwich that Len makes it two hours without breaking a rule." Mieko giggled.

"I bet you a case of Sake that he doesn't make it three hours." I added.

"I bet one Florida orange that he can't last 5 hours!" Rin put in.

"I bet one deep fried catfish that he can't last 6 hours!" Luka agreed.

"I bet you all one Caribbean banana each that I make it to the end of the day!" Len finished.

"That is enough everyone. We need to get to sleep." I said.

We all settled down to sleep. Morning came too quickly for us. I was woken by my cell phone. Akaito had called to let me know that Kaito had been taken to surgery at 3 am and the surgery was expected to last until sometime in the afternoon. He wanted to know if I could go pick him and Miku up from the hospital and take them home. I agreed. We all got up and I made the trip to the hospital to get Akaito and Miku. Gumi had Sundae, and had asked if she could take Sundae down to the pediatric floor to visit the children there. Akaito agreed as Sundae was a registered therapy cat. When we got back, Mieko had started on breakfast. We ate together in the dining room. No one talked much. My mind was on Kaito and how he was holding up to the surgery. I knew I was not the only one. Even Len was quiet. The phone rang. Luka was the closest to the phone, so she answered it.

"That was Gumi. She says that everything is going well, and Kaito is doing what he needs to do. The surgery could be done as early as 11 AM. She'll call once he is out of surgery." Luka said once she finished talking.

"Is it okay if I call Jodye and invite her over after school? I need someone to challenge me in Mario Kart." Len asked.

"If it is fine with her parents, it is fine with me." Miku agreed.

"Jodye lives with Yoholoid now." Luka said, "Her parents are gone a lot because they are archeologists. They are currently working at a high profile site that could change Christianity if they find what they think they will find. They decided that Jodye needed stability in her life and they did not want to move her because the place where the dig sites at is very cruel to those they perceive as not normal. Those born different at that place are killed at birth along with their mother. In fact, there is a story about a town that God destroyed with a tornado because they harbored a sinner."

"Um, that was my hometown. I was the one they saw as the sinner because of my bisexuality. I was the only survivor." I replied, "When I was rescued, they told me God took everything away because of my sin. I was very thankful when the royal guard came to take me away to be raised by my uncle, inside the palace. I was very happy to escape."

"Didn't you once tell us you were in line for the throne?" Rin asked.

"I'm third in line as my father lost his life in the tornado. I may end up having to take the throne if ether of my uncles doesn't produce any heirs. I'll do the job, but it is something I don't really want." I explained, "Before Len starts, I don't see myself as royalty." Len shut his mouth.

"Doesn't that mean you are a prince?" Miku asked.

"Yes." I nodded, "Please refrain from calling me anything but my name, and no bowing ether, Len."

"See? I did nothing and I'm in trouble!" Len complained.

"You were thinking it." Rin said, "He knows you way too well."

"Don't start, you two." Akaito warned.

"This doesn't count against the bet since technically; I didn't break a rule, right?" Len asked.

"No, that one doesn't count." I said.

"What bet?" Akaito asked. Len explained. "If he can't last nine hours, I bet you all to eat one of my ghost peppers." We all accepted.

"If he can't last seven hours, I bet you all to eat one bowl of my leek stew." Miku added.

"You two too?" Len asked.

"You better not last nine hours, or else I'll kill you." Rin glared, "Do you not know how hot ghost peppers are?"

"Yet Akaito eats them like it's nothing. I seriously wonder at times if he has any taste buds." Luka said.

"They are not that hot." Akaito said.

"They are hot." Rin replied, "I've got a patch of burned off taste buds to prove it."

"You were the one who tried one after dad explained to us that ghost peppers were very hot." Len quipped.

"You dared me to." Rin snapped.

"Is that fighting I hear?" I asked.

Len quickly shut his mouth. He pulled out his cell phone and invited Jodye over. She was dealing with a stress fracture in her foot and couldn't dance for a few weeks. She would come over when school was over at noon. It was a half day.

 **MIEKO**

We kept ourselves busy. Everyone was waiting for the phone to ring and bring good news. I was reorganizing the kitchen, which needed it badly. Rin was helping while the lower cabinets. Len was playing on his WII U. Akaito and Miku were down in the dance studio. Miku was likely putting Akaito through his paces. Gakupo was down in his studio, working on polishing his beloved Katana. Luka was curled up in the living room reading. I tried to relax, but my mind kept going to Kaito. I felt as if I had failed him. I'm the one always taking care of everyone, and I have this knack for knowing when someone was sick. I had never picked up that Kaito was sick. I sighed to myself. I should have seen it, but did I not see it? Kaito hated having to be taken care of by someone else. He often powered through his Meniere's attacks much to our dismay. I had once threatened to handcuff him to his bed after he'd developed a fever and refused to rest. I often told him that one of these days he was going to keel over on us.

"Mieko!"

I jumped, "Rin!"

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes." Rin said, "I wanted to know what you wanted me to do with these baking sheets."

"Put them in the cabinet by the stove. I'm sorry; I spaced out thinking about Kaito." I replied.

"I'm worried too. Jodye said she is bringing me and Len our school work. At that concert when all of this started, I was in the dressing room. I had just changed out of my costume for Daughter of Evil. I heard something hit the ground. I thought at first that Len had knocked something over. I heard Len running footsteps and gasps from the audience. Luka and I ran out and Kaito was on the ground. My first thought was that he'd had another of his fainting spells, but the look on Jodye's face said otherwise. I watched her pale and start doing chest compressions. I've never been that scared in my life before, and I'm still scared. I had a dream last night that Kaito came to say good bye." Rin looked away, "I don't want to have to say good bye to big brother."

"Rin, I had the same dream that Kaito came to say good bye too." I said, "So did Luka."

"That's three people. The odds of that are astronomical." Rin replied.

Len walked in to hear Rin's words, "Hey, I dreamed Kaito came to say good bye too!"

"You too?" Rin asked.

Akaito came in carrying Miku. He set her down in a chair before turning to us.

"I had a dream that Kaito came to say good bye too." He said, "So did Miku."

"That's six people." Rin said.

I did too." Gakupo came in.

"We all had the same dream!" Len cried out, "The odds of seven people having the same dream are freakishly huge!"

"The phone is going to ring. They are going to tell us Kaito didn't make it." Rin went white.

"Am I interrupting?"

We turned. Jodye stood at the doorway. She held an iPad, which was where the female voice had come from.

"We all had the same dream! Did you dream Kaito came to say goodbye?" Len asked.

"No, I didn't, but I did see Kaito. I was dreaming I had super hearing until I ended up in a waiting area with you guys, Yoholoid, and Al. We saw Kaito and we tried to convince him to live, and I think he agreed to keep fighting." Jodye handed over two folders, "Here's the classwork. I need some game time."

"So that's seven of us. Let's go. I need a challenge. We're doing Mirror mode special cup." Len and Jodye headed off for the living room.

Everybody drifted off into other activities. The phone rang at 2:30. We all gathered around the kitchen phone. Akaito answered it. He hung up after a few minutes.

"He made it through surgery." Akaito said, "Dr. Hart has decided to not allow visitors until noon Sunday. Sundae is with Kaito, and she did well with the children. Kaito is under close watch by his medical team. They did have some trouble controlling the bleeding due to the blood thinner they put him on after he had that stroke. Kaito did well. Now we wait to see if his body accepts the new heart. Later tonight, Kaito will undergo the bilateral lung transplant. If all goes well, and his body accepts the new organs, he'll start physical therapy and come home in a few weeks."

"Does this mean Kaito is going to get better?" Rin asked.

"Dr. Hart says he's not out of the woods yet. This could still go either way." Akaito answered, "I know Kaito. He is going to beat this."

"We all hope so, Akaito." I agreed, "I just wish he had at least said something."

"You know Kaito. He is like a cat, hiding the fact he is sick until it is serious." Gakupo said, "I doubt even Kaito realized how ill he was. He usually powers through colds, Meniere's attacks, and doesn't let injuries stop him. One of us usually has to force him to take it easy."

"Kaito is always willing to take care of us when we get sick." Luka joined us, "I have to get the next book in the series now."

"Kaito took care of me when I had that stomach bug." Rin nodded, "He held me and rubbed my back each time I vomited, made sure I stayed hydrated, and kept me cool during the fever. He was sick too and he still took care of me."

"You wanted Kaito." Luka said.

"I always want Kaito when I'm sick. He makes being sick more bearable." Rin said.

"He does." Miku said, "He took care of me back when I had that cold. Akaito was away during that time."

"He took care of me and Len while we were down with that fever." I said.

"I ended up hospitalized after my fever hit 105." Len said, "I remember sleeping for nearly two days until waking on day three. They kept me for two more days until my fever broke."

"He never left Len's side. I got better as my fever broke the night before Len got rushed into the hospital." I remembered, "Why won't he let us care for him?"

"Kaito knew." Luka spoke up. "He knew he would likely not survive his illness, and he did not want us to watch him fade. He was trying to give us a few last good memories of him before he dies."

"No, that is not…" Akaito fell silent, realizing the implication of what Luka was saying, "He knew. He didn't tell us so we wouldn't worry."

The phone rang. I answered it.

"You guys need to get here now!" Gumi's voice caught, "His body is rejecting the heart."

"We are on our way." I relayed the information.

"My car is the largest! Len, Jodye, come on! We need to go to the hospital now!" Gakupo called out as we ran outside to his van. We piled into the van and took off. Even though the hospital was only five miles away, the trip seemed to take hours. After we arrived and Gakupo parked, we piled out of the van and rushed inside, Akaito pushing Miku's wheelchair. She was standing, but walking had to wait. She wanted crunches, but had to wait two weeks for her hip to heal up enough to be able to handle supporting her. We rushed to the CCU, but room 5A was empty. Where was Kaito? Had he died? Thankfully, Ann found us and took us to Kaito's side. He was in a much larger and brighter room.

"This is our crisis care room." Ann explained, "Patients are moved here when they are so critical that they can die any time. Kaito is dying. Gumi called you here so you could say good bye and be with him as he passes. Patients don't leave here alive."

"What went wrong?" I asked.

"His body rejected the heart, and he developed Septicemia, a very serious blood infection. The infection is everywhere, even in his brain. There is something else you should know. He suffered another stroke on us. He is at the end." Ann explained gently, "He won't last another hour"

"I'm not too late am I?" Oliver joined us.

Akaito rushed to his brother's side. We all joined him. I felt myself start crying. Why was this happening? Why did Kaito have to die? Why? This wasn't fair! I felt a deep emotional ache inside my heart. Kaito was taking a piece of me with him as he died. I knew everyone else was feeling the same pain. This was happening because of me. I failed Kaito. This had happened right under my nose. I turned away in shame.

"Oh Kaito! You can't let it end!" Akaito held his brother, tears streaming from his eyes. This was hurting him the worst of all. He was losing his other half. I felt sick inside. It was my fault he was being hurt so badly.

"Big brother! Don't go!" Rin clung to Kaito's hand, "Please don't go!" Len and Jodye were by her side. Gakupo stood with his eyes closed and head bowed. His lower lip was trembling as he fought to keep his tears at bay. He held Luka against him. Luka was crying into his jacket. I felt eyes boring into me. I turned to see Miku. She stared at me, her face broken. Silent tears meandered down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry!" I whispered. She turned her head away.

Guilt crashed through me. This was on me. When Kaito needed me the most, I had failed him. I should have pushed for Kaito to figure out why he was fainting. If I had, this would have been found years earlier and we would not be here watching him die today.

"It is never easy watching someone you love die." Oliver broke the silence. "Sometimes no matter what you do, they still slip away."

That's when the alarms on several machines went off at once. The room flooded with medical personnel and we were sent to the waiting area. As I left, I heard the whine of paddles being discharged and orders being shouted. We waited in the waiting area, some of us crying, Rin praying hard, and all of us silently begging Kaito to not die. An hour and a half later, Oliver came to us.

"Time of death, 6:25 PM." He reported solemnly.

"No, no!" Akaito leapt from his chair. Oliver nodded, and he took off with us following.

 **Queen Sunstar: (Hiding behind wall) This story has reached 904 views. 96 more to go to hit 1K. If the story reaches 1K, there will be an outtake chapter. I am working on a promotion video using MikuMikuDance. I have a short video up on Youtube, but it is not very pretty. I'm making a new one which will show clips from Silent Voices. I still need to get an Akaito model. I'm not very good at using MMD, but I'm improving.**


	15. Miracle

**Queen Sunstar: Chapter 15! Miracles do happen. Akaito and Rin provide the POVs here. We are at 967 views! Only 33 more views to go! I know we can reach 1k in views! Len, I am so sorry. You'll see why in the chapter below.**

 **AKAITO**

No. It couldn't be true. Kaito wasn't gone. I broke into the room and rushed to his still form. Dropping to my knees, I let loose with an agonized cry of grief, my head dropping to land on his chest. I clung to him, too dry to keep crying. I gasped in gulps of air. My twin brother was dead. Cold pain crashed through me. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"I need to take him to the morgue now." Oliver whispered.

"I… I know." I whispered back, closing my eyes and gave my brother one last hug. I started to move my head, and froze. Did I hear what I thought I just heard? There, the sound came again and again. I knew what I was hearing. "Oliver, he's not dead!"

"I've seen this before, Akaito. You want him to be alive so badly that you are imagining that you are hearing his heart beat." Oliver sighed and took off his stethoscope, "I will listen." He listened, and froze, "Somebody get Dr. Hart now! He's alive!"

Dr. Hart ran in and listened, "I need life support in here now! He's alive!"

Machines were rolled in and hooked up to Kaito's body. A blond woman with her hair in a side ponytail parked herself behind the ECMO. Adjustments were made and IVs set back up. I stayed by my brother's side.

"I've never seen this before." Dr. Hart looked amazed, "This is unheard of! He was dead! He had no heart beat! I worked on him for 90 minutes!"

"90 minutes without oxygen, plus the times he crashed before, and plus the two strokes, there will be brain damage. How much is anyone's guess. He could go into a vegetative state, be severely brain damaged to the point where he won't know you and need round the clock care, or he'll surprise us and be mostly normal." Ann explained, "I am going to bring in neurology and let them handle the brain. He is in a deep coma right now, which is a good thing. I can't tell you how long he'll be like this. I am keeping him in here. I can operate in here if needed. This room is actually a converted operating room."

"Will he get better?" I asked hopefully.

"I honestly don't know. Right now, we need to get the infection taken care of and find a new heart. I am going to see about using one of your lungs. Because you two are twins, his body shouldn't reject it."

"Too bad you can't take my heart."

"I agree. He'll need two lungs, and since Miku is a match, we are going to take one from her too."

I returned to my brother's side and drew up a chair. I sat in the chair and took Kaito's hand into my own. His hand was cold and very clammy. I could see beads of sweat on his forehead. Gumi came in and checked his temperature.

"102 even. Right now, the fever is our ally. The bacteria responsible for Septicemia don't like heat. That fever is helping instead of harming." Gumi explained, "It means his immune system is responding." She was carrying Sundae and put the cat onto the bed. Sundae went to her usual spot. Before lying down, she licked the sweat off of Kaito's forehead and gave him a nuzzle. She had done this before. I heard her begin to purr. That cat sure did have a very loud purr.

"Hear that, Kaito? Sundae is here too. She loves you and wants you to get better too. Please, don't leave me. When you were gone earlier, the pain I felt was indescribable. I don't want to feel that pain again. I need you here beside me, big brother." I began to talk. I was alone in the room beside Sundae, the others having left to give me time alone with Kaito.

I closed my eyes. Memories flashed by. I saw myself at four years old climbing into bed beside Kaito, who was whimpering in fear as outside, it stormed. There had been a loud crack of thunder and Kaito had screamed. I remembered telling him not to be afraid, that it was just the old Shion men in heaven bowling and Great Uncle Shion must have rolled a strike judging by that last crack. Next, I was six years old at a funeral. Kaito was singing Saihate, and his voice was hauntingly beautiful. I remembered how I had gotten chills listening to him. I wasn't the only one. Would I get to hear Kaito sing again? My next memory was of myself at 14. I was watching Kaito and my cousin, Saito, graduate high school. I had not been too thrilled about Kaito graduating. Kaito was the class valedictorian, and he had graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. He also received his two year college diploma too, his college grade point average at 4.0 too. He would go on to college and major in math. How can someone love math? I hated math! It made no sense to me! When would I need to use a graph, or solve square roots? The calculator was invented for a reason. My next memory showed me at 16, learning from Kaito that our parents were missing. Were they ever found? Were they still alive? I sighed. I felt a squeeze on my hand. I looked at Kaito, who was not awake. I knew he was aware and giving me comfort. Sundae looked up at me and meowed.

"Yes, you are helping. Bring him back to us, Sundae."

"Meow."

"I know you are not a miracle worker. Keep doing what you are doing. It's working."

"Maw."

"Great, I'm having a conversation with a cat. Yes, you are a good girl."

"Mow?"

"No, I'm not getting you any ice cream. You are just like Kaito when it comes to ice cream. You do know that you are supposed to be lactose intolerant, right?"

"Raur?"

"Well it's true!"

"Hiss!"

"Don't blame me! Now I'm arguing with a cat. Kaito, how do you live with Sundae? Is she this mouthy with you?"

"Reow!" Sundae put her head under Kaito's chin, signaling that our conversation was over. I ignored her.

"Can we come in now, Akaito?" Len asked.

"Yeah, come in." I responded.

"How are you feeling?" Mieko asked.

"Horrible." I replied, "Just horrible. I just want my brother back."

"We all want him back, Akaito." Gakupo replied, "I miss my sparring partner."

"We all miss him. I wish I could lose this chair." Miku replied, "My hip doesn't even hurt anymore. Even my lower abdomen no longer hurts. It's just my wrist and ankle."

"You have to be patient, Miku. Healing takes time." Mieko moved closer and put a cool hand on Kaito's forehead, "He has a fever going on. It feels like it is at 102.4."

Teto came in with a thermometer and slipped it under Kaito's armpit. It beeped.

"102.4." Teto read.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

Mieko smiled, "Let's see, after Mama died, I was left raising 9 siblings. Dad did his best, but he earned only partial wages, so we couldn't even afford a thermometer. I got really good at reading temperatures by feel."

 **RIN**

After what happened with Kaito, I never wanted to go through that pain of losing someone I cared about ever again. I was beginning to feel scared again. When Oliver had told us Kaito was dead, it had broken me. I felt empty inside. Hearing Oliver scream for Dr. Hart and finding out Kaito was alive had felt like the rain had stopped and the sun came out.

I moved a chair over to Kaito's side and sat down. Kaito did not look good. He was very pale and the cyanosis was getting worse. I knew he had a fever. He was also starting to swell from the edema. The edema had spread from his legs and was now in his arms and torso. Teto listened to Kaito's lungs, which were being ventilated by the ventilator. He was on one ventilator instead of two. She pressed against his skin on his chest, feeling out the edema. Taking a black marker, she marked the edge of the edema. She looked worried.

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"The edema is getting worse. Part of the problem with the edema is that because his kidneys shut down, he can't void the excess fluid. He is on dialysis, but it is unable to keep up with the accumulating edema. The heart that was transplanted into him is failing. I am monitoring the edema. If it passes a certain mark, I will have to perform a tracheotomy in order to keep his lungs from failing any further." Teto explained.

"Couldn't you manually drain the edema? They did that to me back at Mercy when I had that really high fever. I had Pneumonia." Len asked.

"You had fluid accumulate outside your lungs. Edema is like that, but it's a bit different in that if can affect the whole body. I am going to try to drain the fluid from his chest. You two can help." Teto walked over to the counter and returned with a syringe, cotton ball held by forceps, antiseptic cleanser, and three pairs of gloves. Len and I put the gloves on while Teto prepared a tube. She let me rub the antiseptic on Kaito's side while Len got to do the injection to numb the area. Teto made the incision and slipped in the tube. We were greeted with a gush of pink fluid. Teto had placed a bag at the end of the tube which filled quickly. She changed it out. The fluid slowed to a trickle. She showed us how to change the bag. "That's all there is to it. Put the full bag right here in the cabinet and push the red button. That will alert the lab to come pick up the bag. Can I count on you two?"

"Yes, you can count on us!" I replied, "I feel much better now that I'm helping."

"Me too." Len agreed.

"I like to get children to help in the care of their family member. It helps them feel better because they know they are doing an important job." Teto smiled, "It is also important to get the entire family invested in the care of their family member."

"He is our big brother figure even though he's not related to us." I answered, "Each member of the Vocaloids has filled a role for me and Len. Miku adopted us, but she is more like a big sister. Luka is the same way. Mieko is like a mom to us and Gakupo is our father figure. Akaito is like another brother to us. He is going to marry Miku and become our other legal guardian."

"We will do what we can to help Kaito recover." Len nodded, "Kaito is the best big brother I can ask for. He is always there for me. He took care of me when I got that fever, and stayed by my side during the five days I was in the hospital. I am repaying that favor."

"I can tell that he loves you both." Teto smiled.

"We love him too." I said, "I just want him to get better."

"We all are rooting for him." Teto said, "We want him to recover too."

I checked the bag which was full. Using forceps, I closed off the tube and removed the bag. Len got a new bag out and attached it. He removed the forceps while I put the full bag in the cabinet and pushed the button. Teto watched, smiling as we did just as she showed us. I felt happy, knowing I was contributing to Kaito's care and helping him get better.

"It does feel good to help." Len said.

"It really does." I echoed.

"That is why I like taking care of you lot." Mieko said, "I always feel better knowing I'm helping you recover."

"You are right about that. Remember the time Kaito had that fever and refused to rest? We had a tour coming up in six days." Len remembered.

"Oh yes. He tried to power through it. I threatened to handcuff him into his bed if he would not stay in it and rest." Mieko grinned, her eyes getting misty.

"I remember Kaito saying he'll be good and stay in bed. He said he already knew what you and Gakupo like to do with those handcuffs." Luka giggled.

"Gakupo and I used to torment him with our uh, extracurricular activities." Mieko replied.

"That is quite enough, Mieko. The twins aren't old enough to know of that yet." Miku said.

"Know what, sex?" Len asked.

"We both have a class in school called Sex Ed." I said, "We know of that already, and our room is below Kaito's, so we've been treated to the sounds of Mieko and Gakupo's activities."

"Have you two had the talk yet?" Akaito asked.

"We both have." Len said, "Thanks to Kaito."

"Yep. He sat both of us down and gave us the talk two days after our 12th birthday." I added.

"Oh thank goodness. That saves me from one awkward conversation." Miku said, "Akaito, if we have kids, you are giving them the talk."

"If we have boys, than yes. If we have girls, you are doing it."

"What if we have both?"

"Are we seriously arguing over who has to give the talk?"

"I'm stressed out. Bills are piling up. I've got four medical bills I'm trying to stay on top of, and I'm running low on money to keep up with the bills. I'm going to have to start collecting rent from you lot soon if things get any worse."

"How bad is the situation, Miku?"

Miku sighed, "We're down to 2000 Yen."

"That's bad. At least we won't have to worry about being on the streets as you own the mansion. You do own the mansion, right?"

"Yes, I own the mansion. I still have to pay utilities. That's 1600 Yen there, plus four different medical bills, which adds up to 4500 Yen. See my problem?"

"None of us are performing, which is where a big chunk of our funds comes from." Gakupo said, "What about merchandise?"

"We will be getting a 10000 yen check for that. It helps, but not much. It would be even better if our album was out, the album that was supposed to be out months ago!" Miku dropped her head into her hands, "We are so screwed!"

"Len, Mieko, Luka and Gakupo can still perform." I said, "I was supposed to perform at Sky Mall last weekend, but I got hurt protecting Jodye."

"Yoholoid had me perform there last weekend. I overdid it on my ankle, hence the fracture." Jodye wrote.

"Mistress is not thrilled that we are not performing. I could call her and see if she can find anything for us to do." Gakupo offered.

"Oh snap! I forgot about paying Mistress!" Miku wailed, "That's another 20000 yen!"

"Mieko, Gakupo, Luka and I better perform somewhere." Len said.

"I've got Mistress on the phone. She wants you, Miku." Gakupo handed Miku his cellphone. After a bit, Miku handed the phone back.

"Can somebody roll me over to a corner so I can die of shame?" Miku asked.

"No, sorry. What did Mistress say?" Luka asked.

"Mistress gave me an arse chewing for not telling her about Kaito, freaking her out about being caught in a tornado, and nearly getting myself killed. She has something lined up. N'Sync is going to be doing a short tour here, and you four are signed up as the opening act. Gakupo and Luka will do Phantom of the Opera and Canterella, Len, you are doing Spice, Mieko, you are doing Like Dislike with Gakupo, and you four will end with Madness of Duke Venomaina." Miku explained.

"Wait a minute, we are short a girl for Duke Venomaina." Gakupo pointed out.

"Yoholoid and Jodye will join you for that song." Miku said.

"Do I have to do any dancing?" Jodye asked.

"You won't. You get to do my part which is to lean against Gakupo's leg and eye his, well, you know what." Miku said, "Yoholoid is doing Kaito's part."

"Yoholoid gets to cross dress!" Len hooted with laughter.

"Len, shut up!" I snapped at him, "You cross dress for Servant."

"We switch clothes and I die in your place." Len returned dryly.

"You wear my clothes." I pointed out.

Len sighed and decided to stop talking.

Jodye blushed, having figured out what Miku meant, "Can I look somewhere else?"

"Nope. Remember, you are acting. You are under the Dukes spell. You want nothing but the package." Miku explained.

"I'm the one who gets to nibble on his hair." Luka said, "We could trade spots."

"Jodye could take my spot. I only lean against the chair." Mieko offered, "I could stare at his package all day."

"Jodye is not tall enough for your spots, and it will look odd if she is on a stool." Miku said.

"I'll be fine." Jodye said, "I can handle it."

"That is enough about my package!" Gakupo hissed.

"Aww, are we humiliated?" Akaito ribbed playfully.

"You shut up!" Gakupo growled.

"Len will be one of the girls as well, since Rin can't do her part." Miku continued.

"Len will look awesome in my white slip!" I added.

"But…" Len sputtered.

"We need four girls for the song." Gakupo said.

"You get to cross dress with Yoholoid!" I added, "I'll lend you a pair of my underwear too, since my slip is too short to cover your boxers."

"Wait!" Len started.

"I'm the one who looks back after the duke is stabbed, so don't forget to give Gakupo a look of love!" I added.

"Can I-" Len got interrupted again.

"Are we still doing the kissing scene between the blue prince and his rescued lover?" Luka asked.

"That means Yoholoid and I have to kiss, right?" Jodye asked, blushing again.

"Yes. Jodye, can you survive? You get to stare at one package and then get kissed." Miku asked.

"I'll survive, as long as Yoholoid avoids the garlic." Jodye answered.

"I'M TRYING TO TALK HERE!" Len screamed, "I draw the line at cross dressing! I will not wear Rin's slip or underwear!"

"Sorry, Len. See this boot? I can't run." I said, lifting my leg with said boot on it into the air.

"Jodye is in one too." Len pointed at Jodye's black boot.

"I won't be wearing it." Jodye wrote, "I can take it off for a bit if needed. My ankle will support my weight just fine. Also, I don't use crunches."

"That's six performances all together, and we are making 500,000 yen a performance." Miku said, "That's 3,000,000 yen right there. That'll cover everything."

"Kaito's medical bills have got to be piling up." Akaito said.

"They are. I don't know what the total will be. Rin's bill is only 800 yen, yours is 1200 yen, and mine is 2500 yen. This is after insurance. I don't know how much Kaito's bill will be." Miku replied.

"I have been thinking about bringing him home." Akaito replied, "I know we can't afford to keep him here much longer."

"You know Len and I will help with his care." I said.

"You can count on me and Mieko." Luka added.

"You got me too." Gakupo nodded.

"I'll do what I can too." Miku echoed, "We will have to talk with his medical team and see what they say."

Teto returned to the room and went to Kaito's side. Len and I had just changed the bag again. It was clear that the edema had spread past the marked line. The Respiratory Therapist sighed. She turned to us.

"I have to perform a tracheotomy. The edema is going to block his trachea before long." She explained.

"I know what that is. That's when you put a hole in the trachea to help with breathing." I said, "That doesn't sound too bad."

I have to do the hole a bit lower than usual." Teto replied, "Where I have to do it at, I have to sever his vocal cords."

 **Queen Sunstar: Reactions next chapter. Yes, it is true that when the tracheotomy has to be performed, the vocal cords have to be severed to make room for the tube. That's because the tubes used are larger than the kind used in intubation. This is done so the tubes won't collapse due to edema, also known as swelling. Edema is basically swelling involving fluid buildup. You see this mostly in the feet after you've been standing for hours. This is not a cause for alarm. The fix is ice and elevation. In extreme cases like Kaito's, the treatment is the use of diuretics. In Kaito's case, due to having no kidney function, Teto is forced to try to drain the fluid buildup. I'm done with the health lesson now.**


	16. Disaster

**Queen Sunstar: There will be action in this coming chapter, and Mieko has a little secret get revealed to Gakupo. Let's just say what a great way to find out. Len and Gakupo will provide the POV's here. Again, I'm not responsible for any heart attacks.**

 **LEN**

"But… That means he'll be mute!" I gasped, "He'll hate that!"

"He was so miserable that time he got Laryngitis!" Rin cried out, "Never being able to sing again will just crush him!"

"He'll still be able to sing." Jodye wrote, "He'll have to learn to sing with his hands."

"How do you even sing with your hands?" I asked.

Jodye demonstrated with Canterella. He hands moved gracefully as they formed the signs for each word. It was almost like her hands were dancing.

"That's very pretty." Rin said.

"When the time comes, I will repair his vocal cords." Teto explained, "But he may not sound like he used to. When I do this, most of my patients end up with deeper voices."

"Kaito with a deeper voice sounds sexy." Mieko said.

"He can go pretty deep." Miku said, "The last time we did Phantom of the Opera, I about swooned when he did his spoken lines deep. He can talk deep for me any day." Akaito cleared his throat. "Of course you go way deeper."

"Like this?" Akaito asked, his voice deep.

"Stop or you'll turn me on, and don't you dare with the bedroom eyes." Miku said, "We can't… make love until after my stomach and your ribs heal."

"I know. Once we are cleared, I'm giving you a night to remember." Akaito winked.

"I'm looking forward to it, and I get to be on top." Miku winked back.

"That's enough you two!" Mieko reprimanded, "You've got three sets of little ears here!"

"My ears aren't so little. I've heard them go at it many times now." Luka said, "The walls are thin."

"I need you all to clear out so I can do the tracheotomy." Teto said, "Don't worry; some of the stories I've heard in the ER are far worse than this. The procedure takes me 45 minutes to do."

We all left.

"We should go eat." Miku said.

"I called Yoholoid, and he'll be picking me up soon." Jodye wrote, "I'll stay here. You guys go. The cafeteria serves family free here."

"Alright, let's go eat." We headed down to the cafeteria. When we returned, Yoholoid was with Jodye, who was talking to Teto. Teto nodded to us and we walked back into the room. The ventilator tube was now coming from Kaito's neck. With the tubing gone from his mouth, I could see the cyanosis clearly around his lips. I took his cold hand into my own. Sundae growled at me. She wasn't in her usual spot. She was pacing like a caged tigress. I tried to pet her but she swatted my hand away. Her blue eyes were wide. It was like she was scared of something. Did she know something we didn't? She hopped off of Kaito's bed and went to her cat box where she scratched a bit and left. She stalked by her food dish where Akaito had left a bit of vanilla ice cream and ignored it. She returned to the bed and sniffed the wheel before swatting it. I found her mouse toy and tossed it, but she ignored it. Her behavior was very strange. Sundae loved to play fetch with me. She loved ice cream just as much as her master, so why wasn't she eating it?

"What is wrong, Sundae? Why the odd behavior?" I asked.

Sundae leapt up onto the counter and stalked up and down it.

"You get down, missy. You were told not to go on the counter." Akaito ordered.

Sundae gave him a haughty snub and a defiant meow. She hopped down and paced some more.

"What is with her?" Mieko asked.

"Kaito would know. She must be stressed out over Kaito. You know she loves him." Luka said, "Sundae, are you stressed?"

Sundae gave herself a shake and licked her shoulder, "Maw." She finally settled down on the lowest branch of her cat tree. Akaito had brought a few of her favorite things from home to help her settle in. The hospital agreed to let her live in Kaito's room. Kaito did a lot better with Sundae by him. I decided to ignore her.

"Please, wake up soon, Kaito. We all miss you. The mansion is so empty without you there." I replied softly, "Get better, and please return to us."

"Do you think he can hear us?" Rin asked.

"I don't know." Akaito answered.

"I hear that people in comas sometimes can hear loved ones talking." Gakupo said.

"I think he can hear us." I said, feeling my hand being squeezed gently, "He's squeezing my hand. He was squeezing Akaito's hand earlier."

Teto came walking in, "Talk to him. Sing. Anything can help a coma patient break out of their coma."

"45 square roots 25 are 45 x 5 which equals 225." Rin started listing and solving equations.

"Seriously Rin? Equations?" I asked.

"Math is Kaito's favorite subject so I figured hearing me do equations might help." Rin answered.

"I just don't have the will to sing right now." Miku replied.

"There is always prayer." Teto replied, "Don't lose hope. He is young, and being young helps."

"I've been praying hard." Rin replied, "Right after he collapsed, I started praying and I have not stopped."

"Keep praying." Teto said.

Outside, day slowly turned into night. We stayed by Kaito's side, taking turns talking to him and holding his hand. All of us prayed that Kaito would wake up soon. I knew we all were scared of losing him.

When Oliver had told us Kaito had died, my heart went cold. My eyes went wide. Shock had coursed through me. Akaito's screams of no had nearly broken me. Cold grief had replaced the shock. Than we heard Oliver scream for Dr. Hart and he's alive. My grief vanished, replaced by intense joy. I knew I would be even happier when Kaito woke up. If he woke up. Wait, where had that thought come from? Kaito would wake up. He would get better. Why did I feel like we were watching him fade? Where were those thoughts coming from? Kaito would pull through, brain, so stop with the negativity!

"You will pull through. Please, pull through." I told Kaito, getting a squeeze on my hand from him, "I believe in you."

That's when the ground came alive under my feet. Living in Japan, you get used to earthquakes pretty quickly. This one was stronger than the ones we get on a daily basis. I knew at once it was going to be bad. Screams rent the air. Sundae dove inside her tree. I saw Akaito dive on Miku, and Gakupo holding Mieko. Luka flung herself over Kaito. The ground acted as if it were a living thing. The building began to groan, its internal structure being forced to move in ways it was clearly not designed to move. The shaking grew even worse. Dust rained down from the ceiling. I was clinging to Kaito's bed and his hand, which was tight around my own. The ceiling broke open and I watched Mieko and Gakupo vanish under a pile of debris. It felt like forever had passed when the shaking finally stopped.

No one moved. We all were waiting to see if the shaking would come again. I looked around. Rin was pinned by a piece of ceiling, but was awake and alert. Luka was covered in dust but unhurt. Akaito was also covered in dust but unhurt. They both moved. Kaito wasn't hurt, nor was Miku. I searched for Gakupo and Mieko.

"Everybody okay?" Miku whispered.

"I'm okay." Rin said, "But I'm stuck. I can't move this thing off of me."

"I'm okay, and Kaito looks okay." I answered.

"I'm fine, Miku." Luka added.

"I'm okay too." Akaito looked Miku over, "Are you okay, my love?"

"I'm okay." Miku smiled up at Akaito.

We waited. Akaito and Luka helped Rin get free.

"Gakupo? Mieko?" Luka called worriedly.

"They were right there." I pointed, and realized something big. "Um, guys, since when did this room have a floor to ceiling window on one wall?"

"What?" Rin turned, "Oh God! Where's the wall?"

Akaito crept to the opening and looked, "The wall that's supposed to be here is lying in ruins on the ground, and this building is seriously leaning. We need to leave, now."

"But we can't!" I cried out.

Rin went to the door and opened it, "Can anyone jump oh, 15 or so feet? We're stuck here."

Akaito joined her, "We are dead."

"I don't want to die!" Luka wailed, "Where are Gakupo and Mieko? I'm scared! Another earthquake and we are doomed!"

"Calm down." Miku soothed, "I'm sure we will be rescued soon."

"Sundaes actions earlier, she sensed this coming!" Rin cried out.

"Everybody, calm down. I know it is scary right now, but let's calm down." Miku soothed, "We are getting out of this alive."

"The tilt is getting worse." Akaito crept to the new opening and looked, "The section we are in is going to collapse. We are on the third floor, so we should survive."

"You are not helping, Akaito!" Miku warned.

A bright light shone into the room.

"This is the fire department. How many?"

Rin cheered.

"Eight. We are unhurt, but Kaito is critical! We can't find two of the eight!" Luka called out, "He's the reason we are here!"

"We've got a construction crew working on stabilizing your section enough for rescue. Sit tight. It will be some time until we can attempt a rescue! I'm Hachiro, and I'm staying right here." Hachiro spent the next hour talking to us. He told us of his girls and how they were big fans of ours. He told us his girls were praying for Kaito to recover. We told him about us and why Kaito was in the hospital. At last, the construction crew finished and our rescue began. Hachiro rode up in a basket and got me and Rin first. I held Sundae, having leashed her moments ago. Luka came down next with Miku. It took some creativity, but Akaito came down with Kaito on a backboard. A team of doctors took over tending to Kaito. A nurse handled breathing while an orderly handled CPR. They were keeping Kaito alive manually since there was no electricity. I kept my eyes peeled for Gakupo and Mieko. Hachiro promised to search for them. We were checked out and given clean bills of health. We were pressed into service by the hospital staff. Rin and I entertained the children while Miku and Luka helped the nurses. Akaito kept everyone calm with his voice by singing. We all were feeling the shock of the disaster.

 **GAKUPO**

I held Mieko as the world came alive around us. I felt the floor starting to give and tried to move. Debris fell on us and the floor gave out. I lost my grip on Mieko. My fall came to an abrupt end. Something nailed me in the back of my head and everything went black.

I came to in a world of chaos. Groans rang out around me. I was lying at an angle on a board, looking up at the night sky. My right arm was under me. My left leg was twisted at an uncomfortable angle and trapped between two boards. I tried to move, but an explosion of hot pain stopped that idea. I remembered Mieko.

"Mieko?" I got no answer.

I thought. I could stay like this and hope to be rescued, or I could try to get out of this myself. I moved my right leg, freeing it and used it to kick my left leg free. My left leg was injured as evidenced by the blood soaking my white pant leg. Next I moved my left arm, and the explosion of pain came again. Tears sprang to my eyes. I continued to pull and my left arm came free, the hand dangling uselessly from it. Every movement from the hand sent fire roiling up my arm. I knew my wrist was badly broken. I tried moving my right arm, and it came free after a few pulls. Carefully I sat up. I heard a loud crack, and I fell once more. Searing agony blasted through my midsection as I hit something that was not ground or wood. In the low light, I made out the shape of a woman with short brown hair. I knew this woman well.

"Mieko?" I tried to move. Something held me in place.

She didn't respond. Mieko's eyes were closed, and I couldn't tell if she was even breathing. She looked like a broken doll. I could see blood around her body. The way her neck was angled, I knew it had to be broken. I reached toward her, feeling for a pulse. There was none. I knew Mieko was dead. Not wanting to believe it, I felt again and again for a pulse I knew was not going to be there. I screamed in grief, tears flowing down my face. I tried to move again, but again something held me in place. I finally realized why. A steel pole sticking out of the ground had impaled me, and Mieko.

"Oh Mieko! You can't be gone! I love you!" I cried hard.

A groan sounded below me.

"Why is it raining in Kaito's room?"

"MIEKO!"

"Gakupo, now is not the time to get kinky." Mieko looked up at me, "My neck hurts." She tried to move, but screamed in pain.

"How? I couldn't find a pulse!" I sputtered.

"I'm alive." Mieko tried to look around, "Something is wrong with my neck. What happened?"

"There was an earthquake. We seem to have fallen to the ground. Mieko, what hurts?" I asked.

"My neck and my abdomen, and I think I'm bleeding from somewhere." Mieko said, finally noticing the pole sticking out of her abdomen, "Oh god no!"

"I'm stuck on it too." I told her.

Mieko's hands went to her belly where she cradled it, her eyes wide in fear. I sensed something was wrong, horribly wrong.

"Please, be okay." She whispered.

"Mieko?"

"Come on; show me that you are alive."

"Mieko?"

"Please, kick or something."

Mieko, what is wrong?"

"It's not moving!" Mieko teared up, "Please, God, don't make me lose it!"

"MIEKO!"

"Gakupo, I can't feel it moving!"

"What can't you feel moving?"

"I can't feel the baby moving!"

"What baby?"

"Our baby!"

"What? Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not kidding! I'm pregnant with our baby! I don't want to lose it!" Mieko sobbed.

"How long?"

"I'm four months along. I found out three weeks before we left for Washington State. I asked if I could fly in my condition, and I was cleared to fly. I was going to tell you while we were there, but Kaito got sick and we all got busy." Mieko cried, "Oh God, I feel blood coming from down there!"

"Calm down. Just calm down. We are impaled on the same pole. Do you know what we will be having?" I asked.

"I was going to find out after we returned from Washington State! How can I be calm when our baby may be dead?"

"Just calm down."

"It's kind of hard to be calm when you've got a pole cut through you and are carrying a dead baby!"

"The baby may not be dead!"

"Blood down there signals miscarriage! I'm miscarrying!"

"Seriously, calm down!"

"I can't! I think I need to push!"

"Will you calm down?"

Mieko looked up at me, her chest heaving as she took in gulps of air.

"That's better. Everything will be okay. I want to raise our baby not as boyfriend and girlfriend, but as husband and wife."

"Are you seriously proposing right now?"

"Yes."

"In case you haven't noticed, we are stuck on a pole under a building, and you are proposing?"

"Yes."

"This is not how I imagined you proposing to me. Miku got the romantic proposal, and I'm stuck under a building."

"Well?"

"Yes, I'll be your wife, but we are tying the knot before I give birth."

The area lit up.

"I see them!"

"Luka! We are down here!" I called.

"Gakupo! Mieko! They're alive!" Luka waved someone over.

"I'm Hachiro, a firefighter. Can you tell me your injuries?" a man's voice spoke next.

"We're impaled on the same pole, and I've got a busted wrist!" I called up, "Mieko has a sore neck!"

"It is going to be a while until we can get to you safely. Construction crews are tearing down the building. Don't worry; I got your friends out! They are unhurt save for some bumps and bruises. Kaito is safe too." Hachiro stayed with us. He talked about his family and how his daughters were fans of ours. The sliver of night sky grew wider and Hachiro was able to come and sit with us. He brought some medical supplies and stabilized my wrist. He carefully straightened Mieko's neck. "Your neck is just badly bruised."

"My baby?" Mieko was still cradling her stomach.

"Let me see." Hachiro listened to Mieko's stomach, "I hear a nice and strong heartbeat. The pole missed your womb. Your baby is fine. You have a deep cut on the inside of your leg." He took care of our cuts and stabilized the pole gutting us. Finally, the building over us was torn down and medical staff surged over us.

"This is going to be tricky." I knew that voice.

"Dr. Hart!" I turned my head to see the blond doctor.

"Gakupo, Mieko. Kaito is fine. He's being kept alive manually. We are sending him to my hospital in Kanto as soon as we can. You two stay calm. I have an idea on how to do this rescue." Dr. Hart answered, "Bring me two backboards!"

We were strapped to the backboards and the boards were lashed together. A female firefighter cut the pole under Mieko and we were carefully tilted to our sides. More wrap was applied to us and we were carried to a tent. Miku hobbled to our sides.

"Oh God, you two!" She gasped.

"Now I know how Kaito must have felt with the iron pole gutting him." Mieko joked.

"We will be fine." I said.

"I'm walking, barely, but walking. Rin and Len are taking a turn at keeping Kaito alive." Miku said, "I'm sore, but I'm managing."

"Is that Saihate I hear?" I asked.

"That's Akaito. He is singing for a girl who is dying from her injuries. She wanted to hear Saihate." Miku explained, "I just love his voice. Mieko, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Miku. I'm just scared. I thought for sure I had lost the baby earlier." Mieko was still cradling her stomach.

"Lost the… Mieko, are you pregnant?" Miku asked, "Its Gakupo's, right?"

"Yes and yes. He proposed to me, and yes, I said yes." Mieko smiled.

Akaito joined Miku, hearing Mieko's words.

"Gakupo, you proposed?" he asked.

"She is carrying our baby." I explained, "How did Kaito manage to deal with having a pole gutting him?"

"What?" Akaito gasped.

"Yes, I'm carrying his baby. Can we focus on getting us off this thing?" Mieko asked.

"You two are headed to Red Cross, which is a hospital in Yangtze, as soon as they clear the road. I'm going with Kaito to the Empire State Hospital in Kanto. Miku is with me as are the twins. Luka will stay with you." Akaito explained.

We heard the sound of a man crying as several firemen set a back board down. Three men clustered around it.

"She goes over there." Hachiro ordered as another back board was set down nearby, "I don't think she'll make it. The body bag goes over there."

Len cried out as he and Rin rushed toward the girl on the back board. I realized with a sickening clarity that the girl was Jodye. That met Yoholoid was in the body bag.

"Jodye! Stay with me!" Len was begging. I hurt for him, knowing what he was about to witness.

"Don't go, Jodye!" Rin cried out.

"Don't cry." Jodye signed with a nurse translating, "My friends…"

"Jodye, don't go where we can't follow!" Rin took the dying girl's hand into her own, "Stay with us!"

"Shh." Jodye signed, "My wounds are too great. Rin, Thank you for seeing beyond my hearing aids. You showed me a new world, one blessed by friendship." Jodye turned to Len, "Len, thank you. I hoped our friendship would blossom into something more."

"Jodye, our friendship can blossom into something more! You just have to live!" Len was crying, "I wanted us to someday be boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"I wish I could live." Jodye raised her hand and cupped Len's face, "I wanted us to become so much more. I love you, Len."

"I love you, Jodye! Please don't die!" Len cried, crying hard as he dropped his head onto Jodye's chest, "Don't go where I can't follow!"

"Please, Jodye, stay with us!" Rin sobbed, "Don't go!"

"I'm sorry, my friends, but this is sayonara." Jodye smiled at her closest friends. She lifted Len's face to her own and they kissed. Jodye seemed to sigh, than she closed her eyes as Len cried her name over and over again.

Off to my right, the crying man began to talk.

"Why couldn't I die?" he sobbed, "Why couldn't it be me?"

"JC, Justin wouldn't want that." One of the three men clustered around the back board soothed.

"Why couldn't you save him over me?" JC wailed..

"Easy, man. Justin was killed instantly." Another of the three men soothed.

I knew who they were. They were the four surviving members of N'Sync.

"What happened?" I asked.

One of the men turned, "I'm Chris Kirkpatrick. When the earthquake hit, the bus JC and Justin were in plunged off the road into a ravine. Justin was killed instantly, but JC survived. He only survived because Justin got under him, his body cushioning the impact and saving JC's life. I see you had a rough time too."

"Kaumi, Gakupo, or as you do it in America, Gakupo Kaumi." I raised my good hand, "I was going to be a part of your opening act."

"No, Rin. I'm staying with Jodye! She's still alive! I hear her heart beating still!" Len yelled.

"Nice to meet you, but I wish it were under better circumstances." Chris came over and shook my hand carefully, "That's Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and JC Chasez."

"Stuck with me is my soon to be wife, Mieko Sakine. The red head is Akaito Shion, and leaning on him is his soon to be wife Miku Hatsune. Over there are Len and Rin Kagamine. They are by their friend, Jodye Kingfisher. We were here in the hospital visiting Kaito Shion, who is very sick. He's Akaito's twin brother." I introduced everybody, "I just found out I'm going to be somebody's dad."

"What a way to find out. Kaito looks like Akaito, but with blue eyes and hair, right? I saw the clip of him collapsing on the news." Chris said, "This looks like a survivor's camp after a catastrophe."

"She is dead, Len!" Rin screamed at Len.

"I'm staying with Jodye, Rin!" Len screamed.

"I saw the documentary of their birth. I was seven years old at the time. I couldn't understand why their birth was being broadcasted until my mother explained that these were very special babies. They were mono-mono with twin to twin transfusion syndrome. The combination is super rare."

"I just had a thought. Could Kaito's ES have come from the circumstances of our birth? I was the healthy one. He was sick a lot." Akaito paled.

"For the last time, you had nothing to do with Kaito's sickness!" I snapped.

"I know I'm not to blame, but I still feel guilty." Akaito moved toward the fighting Kagamine twins, "That is enough!" He cut between them, "Len can stay with Jodye. Rin, over here. You are going with me and Miku. I want the two of you to apologize, now. I'm too stressed out for this right now."

"Sorry." Rin grumbled.

"Sorry." Len snapped back with a short growl. He returned to Jodye's side and rested his head on her chest, hearing her heart beating strongly. He began to hope that just maybe Jodye would survive. A nurse came over and checked Jodye out, "Is she going to be okay?"

"She is holding on. She is going to be flown to Red Cross. Her stomach is hard. She has what we call surgery belly. She is bleeding internally, but her heart is strong." Jodye suddenly lurched and vomited blood. She sank back with a soft sigh. The nurse listened again, "Her heart is slowing. She needs surgery stat!" The nurse took off. She returned with a medical team, "We need to do this now if she is going to survive!"

Quickly, the blanket covering Jodye was pulled up. Antiseptic was poured on her belly and the team went to work quickly. Jodye wasn't put to sleep, but her lower body was numbed. She focused on Len, who was holding her hand. I heard Len talking to Jodye, telling her about the future he envisioned for them, and of the things they would do once she was better. Jodye choked, spitting out more blood. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she shuddered before going still. The doctor working on her turned to Len after trying without success to bring her back.

"She's gone, son." He whispered.

Len let lose with an agonized scream of grief. He shook Jodye, begging her to come back. Akaito pulled him away from the dead girl so she could be put in a body bag. Len pulled away and ran to my side where he collapsed into tears.

"I would hug you but I can't." I gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"May I go with Mieko and Gakupo, Akaito?" Len asked.

"Please, can he come?" I asked.

"Yes, he can stay with you two." Akaito decided, shooting me a dirty look.

"Alright, the road has been clear. I'm transporting one Shion Kaito to Empire State in Kanto." A life flight pilot walked toward us.

"That would be us." Miku, Rin, and Akaito left. Kaito was wheeled by, Neru doing chest compressions and Teto handling breathing. Akaito, Rin, and Miku followed.

"Those going to Red Cross, raise your hands!" A female voice called out.

Mieko and I raised our hands.

Those of us going were moved to a parking lot where ambulances and a bus were waiting. Mieko and I were put in an ambulance.

"Life flights to Red Cross are up in the field, waiting. These two are to be put in one. They are bringing a girl in critical condition, who is to be put on one too." Hachiro explained.

The ambulance began to move. The ride to the field was short. We were carried out and set on the ground. I heard people talking. We were lifted up and placed in a helicopter. Oxygen masks and IV's were set up.

"You two are going to sleep for a while, okay?" Gumi was with us.

"Will it hurt my baby?" Mieko asked.

"It won't hurt your baby." Gumi listened to Mieko's stomach, "She is pretty active in there. The medication will probably make her sleepy too, but it won't hurt her."

"We don't know what we are having yet." Mieko said.

"Going by the way you look, you are totally having a girl." Gumi smiled as she gave us the medication, "See you in a little while."

I was out in moments, my hand on Mieko's stomach. As sleep claimed me, I felt a tiny foot connect with my hand.

 **Queen Sunstar: Yes, I decided to kill off my self insert. The sex of the baby will be revealed next chapter. This chapter was a good one to write. This story is 53000 words and counting. I don't know how many chapters are left to write. I'm leaving that to the Muses, who, shockingly enough are actually cooperating with me.**

 **PS: WE'VE REACHED 1064 VIEWS! WE CLEARED 1K! You have earned yourselves a bonus chapter of outtakes and deleted scenes! Thank you for 1K views! I'm ecstatic! In fact, here is a little treat! It is a sneak peek at my next story, Silence!**

 **Silence**

"This is the place, right?" Len asked nervously.

"This is Clockwork Castle." Luka nodded, "He is in there."

"Kaito is pretty strong. Are we strong enough to bring him down?" Mieko asked worriedly, "I mean, all he has to do is snap his fingers and its good bye powers."

"I believe the Gem Notes will not listen to him anymore. We need to do this. Look around you. Our world is dying. There is no music, and without the Harmony, life is fading. Kaito is our only hope at saving the world, but first we must save him." Akaito narrowed his eyes, "It is up to us now."

"Let's go." Rin decided, "Gakupo, can you get us in?"

Gakupo was focused on the lock on the gate, a floating shard of his fragmented sword in the lock. There was a click, and the Samurai rose, the shard returning to the ring of floating shards around his head. He kicked the lock off the gate and they went in.

Silently, the drawbridge lowered itself over the moat. The group stopped.

"He knows we are here." Miku said, "Be prepared for anything."

The grand doors swung open, and they entered the grand foyer.

"I'm prepared for anything, but definitely not that!" Len screamed.

In front of them stood themselves.

"Dark Dolls!" Rin cried out, "Here they come!"

The Vocaloids clashed with their Dark Doll counterparts.

 **And that is all I'm going to reveal!**


	17. Revealations

**Queen Sunstar: This story is officially my longest story yet. We are over 57 thousand words in length now. Here, not much action. The sex of Mieko and Gakupo's baby is revealed in the chapter below.**

 **MIEKO**

I felt relief as I felt the kick. As Gakupo went to sleep, I went to sleep as well. My mind was reeling in shock over the earthquake. I had experienced earthquakes before so at first I had not been alarmed. I had been contemplating whether or not to reveal my secret. I was showing a bit but I had hidden my baby bump under baggy clothes. I was surprised that Gakupo had not even noticed during our love making sessions. He was focused on stating my desire so it was no wonder he never noticed. I slipped away in a dreamless sleep.

It was midday when I woke up. The first thing I noticed was that I was free of the pole, and the baby was playing soccer with my bladder, which was ready to burst. Slowly, I got up and used the bathroom. I was sore but it wasn't too bad. I returned to bed.

"Aren't we active today?" I said to my stomach.

I was already thinking about the coming birth. My birth plan was a quiet home water birth. My ob-gyn had okayed it as long as she was there to assist and my ultrasound showed I'd be able to give birth naturally.

"Mieko!" Len came into my room and went to my bed side, "You are awake! They did an ultrasound on you. Did you know you are pregnant? She's Gakupo's, right?"

"I already knew. I was 15 weeks along when I found out. Yes, wait, she?" I asked.

"You are having a girl." Len sniffled, his eyes red from crying. He clutched a plush Pikachu to his chest. Judging by the wet spot on its cheek, he had cried into it.

"I'm having a daughter. Yes, she's Gakupo's. Len, are you all right?" I asked.

"I miss Jodye." He broke, climbing up onto my bed and into my waiting arms. I held him as he cried. I remembered that Jodye had died in front of him. A doctor walked into the room.

"Ms. Sakine. I'm Dr. Takuaya. You are a very lucky woman. The pole missed everything. You have a severely bruised neck, but no broken bones. You do have some deep cuts but nothing serious. Your daughter is just fine too. Is he your son?" Dr. Takuaya asked.

"Adopted nephew. How is Gakupo? Can I go see him?" I asked, "Len lost a friend in the earthquake so he is very sad."

"Gakupo? He wasn't as lucky as you were. The pole cut through his kidney and we couldn't save it. He has a severely broken wrist and some cuts, but he will be fine. He is under sedation in the ICU for now. He'll be moved to a regular room day after tomorrow. It is best that his rest undisturbed for now, but you can go see him in a little bit. He'll be awake then. Oh, your roommate is here." Dr. Takuaya stepped aside to allow a pair of orderlies to wheel in a man with dark hair with both of his legs in thick casts. Bandages covered portions of his upper body. The man was awake. He had blue eyes. "His name is JC Chasez."

"I saw him when he was brought in after the earthquake." I said, "I'll make sure he feels better."

"I wish I felt better." Len sniffled.

"You'll feel better soon." I soothed, "After Mama died, I was a mess too."

"You had a family to take care of. I've got no one." Len choked back a sob.

"You have me, Gakupo, Akaito, Miku, Luka, Rin, and Kaito, who is going to need a lot of care as he recovers. I bet he would like it if you helped him out." I responded, my mother's instincts kicking in.

"Would you let me help?" Len asked.

"Of course you can help. You can bring him his medication, his meals, read to him, and he will be able to still help you with homework." I explained, "You can also help me too as my pregnancy progresses, and after the baby is born."

"I draw the line at changing diapers." Len smiled.

JC gave a soft cry, "Why couldn't it be me?"

I got out of bed and sat by JC's bed in a chair. "Would…"

"Justin." Len supplied.

"Thank you, Len. Would Justin want that?" I asked.

"At least he would be alive."

"What happened exactly?" Len asked.

"Justin and I were in our tour bus, listening to music and talking about our new songs. Everything was going smoothly. I was singing a section of one of our new songs when the quake hit. I heard the driver scream and then we were in free fall. After everything stopped flying, I found myself pressed against Justin. They say he died instantly, but he didn't. He begged me to not let him die! We kept each other awake waiting for help. Justin started coughing up blood, and a few minutes later, I watched the light and life bleed away from his eyes! I failed him! It's my fault!" JC started crying all over again.

"It's not your fault, JC. It was just an accident." I soothed, "You'll feel better soon."

"I don't want to live!" JC cried, "How can I live without Justin? I want to be with him! Why won't they let me die? Justin is scared of being alone! He needs me, and they won't let me go!"

"Shh, you are tired, JC. Why don't you go to sleep? Justin is on the crystal road now. Sometimes one can see their loved one just one more time before they pass beyond the doors." I continued talking and soothing the American singer, telling him about the crystal road and how I knew Justin was waiting to see him once more before moving on through the doors.

In our culture, the crystal road separates life and Elysium. When you die, you walk down the crystal road to the great doors leading to Elysium. Elysium is our word for Heaven. It is watched over and protected by Eturnia, the Seraph of the crystal road. Below her are angels called Reapers who collect souls. Overseeing it all is Buddha, our name for God. Silently, I wondered if Kaito was on the crystal road. I closed my eyes and forced back the tears. I hated pregnancy hormones. The other day, I snapped at Luka without realizing it. Wait, did anyone suspect that I was pregnant? I was wearing baggier clothes. I remembered back before all this started, just before boarding the plane to Washington State, Kaito had given me concerned looks. Did he know? No one else knew at that time. If he did know, how did he figure it out? I was careful. I had avoided the morning sickness thankfully. The only symptom I'd had was swollen ankles. I had put on five pounds too. It was then that I realized my period was late. I checked my small calendar to discover I was almost three months late. That set off alarm bells. I went out and bought a pregnancy test. I knew it would come up positive, and it did. At first I was scared. I wasn't even sure I wanted to keep the pregnancy. I knew I needed help so I decided to visit a Women's Health Center which was where I had an ultrasound done to confirm pregnancy. I had talked to other women there and in the end; I decided to keep the pregnancy. I had not intended for Gakupo to find out the way he did.

Gakupo. I still had not seen him yet. JC's friends rushed in to be by his side.

"Chris, thanks for being there for me." Len went to Chris, "Thanks for Pikachu."

"You are welcome." Chris smiled, "JC, I just got word that Justin is alive! He's alive!"

"But they pronounced him dead at the scene!" JC's eyes went wide.

"He's alive! Someone saw the bag he was in breathing and screamed. He's being rushed to emergency surgery to repair his neck. He was internally decapitated, and his spine is broken in several places, but he is alive!" Lance explained.

JC went from being in tears to being overjoyed. He started crying again, but these were happy tears.

"They say he is paralyzed from the neck down, but we'll know for sure once he wakes up." Joey added, "He's alive!"

"Jodye's parents will want to bury her in Twilight Beach, Washington. I know she wouldn't like that. She was not happy there like she was here." Len turned to me, "I miss her so much."

"Jodye is in Elysium. She gets to watch over you now." I soothed the blond boy.

I turned the TV on. Every channel was talking about the earthquake. I saw aerial views of the destruction caused by the earthquake. There was tsunami damage too from the tsunami that had hit 35 minutes after the quake. Entire coastal villages had been wiped out. A 50 mile stretch of coastline had been scoured clean. It was sad to see. On one channel, the names of those who had died were superimposed over scenes of the destruction. I heard Kaito singing Saihate in the background. He was a good singer. Of course, they just had to use the version Kaito had done singing in his deeper range. I had to fight the urge to swoon. If he did end up with a deeper voice from the tracheotomy, I knew us female Vocaloids would have problems with swooning. I recalled the song from Phantom of the Opera Kaito had done with Miku. I knew Rin, Luka, and I all swooned when Kaito went deep and again when Kaito did his spoken lines deep. I could tell Miku was fighting hard not to swoon. The door opened to reveal Dr. Takuaya.

"Ms. Sakine, you have someone who would like to see you if you feel up to it." Takuaya said.

"Gakupo?" I asked hopefully.

"He is awake and will not settle down until after he sees you." Takuaya smiled, "He almost ripped his stitches waking up."

"I want to see him." Len said.

"Ms. Sakine, I figured as much so I brought you a wheelchair." Takuaya rolled the chair in. I sat in it. Len walked beside us. It wasn't long until we reached the ICU. Takuaya wheeled me to Gakupo's side. Luka was by his side. He was awake and sitting up. I rose and we embraced.

"I'm okay." I whispered.

"The baby?" Gakupo asked.

"Our daughter is fine. The pole missed everything." I answered.

"Our daughter? Wait, we are having a girl?" Gakupo had the biggest grin I'd ever seen on his face.

"Yes, we are." I smiled too. We shared a passionate kiss. I knew Gakupo would be an awesome father to our little girl. Len made a fake gagging sound.

"PDA!" he called out, "I'm a little young to be seeing this!"

"Oh you are old enough." Gakupo joked.

"I don't want to be old enough!" Len joked back.

It was good to see Len feeling better.

"We need to think of names." Gakupo replied.

"I haven't even thought of that." I admitted, "Any name in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about Mieto, but since we are having a girl, how about Shinako?" Gakupo asked.

"Shinako? Isn't that your mother's name?" I asked.

Gakupo nodded, "She would have loved you."

"I will need to think about it." I replied.

"I have one. Jodye." Len replied a bit sadly.

"Jodye?" Gakupo thought, "I do like the name. Len, would you be okay with us using the name if we pick it?"

"I'll be fine." Len said.

The door opened. A tall man with long silver hair and the same purple eyes as Gakupo walked into the room. He wore the same basic outfit Gakupo did in the same basic colors. His colors were lighter, and his cyber suit was dull blue silver. I knew at once that this was Emperor Gakupi, Gakupo's uncle. My mouth went dry. I tried to swallow. Len bowed in respect. I managed a curtsy.

"At ease." Gakupi's voice was calm and soothing, "I came to see my nephew."

"I'm here, uncle." Gakupo looked nervous.

"I have some exciting news for you. I am getting too old to be running an Empire. Gakupa agrees with me. Originally I planned to pass the crown to Gakupa, but he did not survive the tsunami. That leaves you as the last Kamui. I want to pass the crown down to you."

"I'm not the last Kamui." Gakupo said, a hand resting on my stomach, "My future wife is carrying my daughter, who is the last Kamui."

"Unless we decide to have more children together." I added.

Gakupi scrutinized me, "She will make you a good Empress."

"Wait a minute. I have not decided if I will become Emperor. My true calling is the stage. I love performing, and my act, the Dancing Samurai, is very popular among children. I want to think about this." Gakupo protested.

Gakupi chuckled, "It won't happen for a while yet, nephew! I have to lead the Empire through recovery from the recent disaster and train you. I still have many things to do for the Empire. I will step down, but it will be years yet before that happens."

"I'm not sure if the Empire will be accepting of a bisexual emperor. There are people and places that hate people like that." Len brought up.

"I know. I have been working on getting people's views to change on that as well as on those with disabilities. It will be up to Gakupo to decide if he is willing to take my place when I step down of course." Gakupi replied.

"Would it mean the end of my career?" Gakupo asked.

"You will still get to perform, but just not as much as you do now. I was like you when I was your age. I loved the stage and I still do. I perform still, but not very often thanks to these old bones of mine. You rest, and you take care of Mieko, Gakupo. You have my private number so call me once you decide what to do." Gakupi left.

"Why do you and your family wear cyber suits?" Len asked.

"It is a safety thing. The suits keep us alive. You don't know how many people have tried to off a Kamui. Before you even ask, no, the suit doesn't grant any special powers, and also, no, the glowing light on my chest is not a reactor. It is just a decoration." Gakupo answered.

Len shut his mouth.

"I will go with you, no matter what you choose to do. I will be your Empress if you choose to become Emperor. I will be your housewife and fellow performer if you choose not to become Emperor. I leave the decision to you." I said.

"I am going to think about it." Gakupo replied. He looked tired. He fell asleep with me curled up next to him, his hand resting on my stomach. I felt our daughter kick, and I know Gakupo felt the kick too. Len settled on Gakupo's other side and was out in minutes. The poor kid was exhausted. I drifted off a bit later.

 **MIKU**

I was free from the wheelchair at last. It felt good to move around on my own. I was walking on my own, well, hobbling, but I was walking. Akaito had been a champ at taking care of me while I was in my wheelchair. Despite the fact he had broken ribs, he had carried me around since he knew how much I hated the wheelchair. Now I knew why Kaito had hated being confined to a wheelchair after being impaled. He had not stayed in it long. I did have crunches, but I ignored them. I was sitting in a chair beside Kaito's bed. Akaito was pacing, and Rin was curled up in a chair sleeping. She clung to a plushy of Kaito given to her by a kind paramedic. I was tired myself, but I stayed awake. Akaito needed me to be strong for him. We were waiting for Dr. Hart to arrive.

Kaito had been assessed and we were still in the emergency department of Empire State. He was still septic, but the powerful antibiotics were helping. It was hoped that Kaito would kick the infection and get strong enough to undergo another heart transplant. He was back on life support, but we were told not to get our hopes up. Ann and Neru were with us. Dr. Hart was on his way. The curtain was pulled aside to reveal a woman with white hair in a bun. She wore purple scrubs under a white lab coat. She was old and reminded me of a school Marm. She went to Kaito's side.

"The name is Dr. Leada Harumi. The position is Chief Neurologist." Dr. Harumi spoke in the crisp tones of a former singer. She had been trained to sing once. "I am here to assess his brain function." We watched as Dr. Harumi opened Kaito's left eye and shine her penlight into it. "No reaction of any kind." She gently tried to move the eyeball around with her finger, "No movement." She repeated the process with Kaito's right eye, "Hmm, both pupils are enlarged." She took Kaito's left hand into her own hand, "Shion Kaito, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand." We waited. Nothing happened. She moved to his feet and took out a pen. "This test is painful." She pressed her pen to the back of Kaito's toes. There was no response. She turned to face us, "He is in very rough shape. I'm ordering an MRI of his brain and an EEG. What I see worries me. Akaito, Miku, Rin, you three should prepare yourselves to say goodbye."

"What? Why?" Akaito asked.

"What my tests are telling me is that there is damage from the times his brain was without oxygen. There is a good chance that he is in a vegetative state. I'll know more after running my tests. Akaito, you need to start thinking about end of life care and plans." Dr. Harumi explained gently.

"NO!" Rin snapped awake, "Not Big Brother!" She started to scream incoherently. Akaito was by her side in a flash. He held her against him, his own body trembling. Rin didn't quiet down. She tried to fight free of his grip and she continued to scream incoherently. Akaito tightened his hold on Rin. I heard him talking to her.

"Rin, it's okay. You are okay. I'm okay. Miku is okay. Len called. Mieko and Gakupo are okay. So is their unborn daughter. Easy. Let's calm down now." He began to sing softly to Rin. Rin stopped screaming and fighting him. She sank into him, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. She was pale, tears rolling down her frightened face. She clung to Akaito with everything she had. "She had a night terror. Give her a moment." Rin shuddered in his arms. "She is just trembling right now. Her brain is in the process of separating what's real from what's not real. Give her a moment." Rin gasped sharply and her body started to heave. Akaito sighed inwardly, knowing what was coming. Dr. Harumi rushed a bowl to him. Rin vomited into the bowl. She blinked, coming to as she vomited.

"Ugh…" She groaned, "That was some night terror."

"Feeling better yet?" Akaito asked.

"Yeah, oh hold on." Rin vomited again, "This better not be a stomach virus."

"It is not a stomach virus." Dr. Harumi checked Rin out, "You've been through a lot over the last 24 hours. You are in a bit of shock. Here." She went and got a cup of water and some medicine, "This will calm your stomach, and this one will help calm you down." Rin took the medicine.

"Akaito, would you mind staying by me?" Rin asked.

"Of course." Akaito smiled.

Rin moved so she was lying on the couch, her head on Akaito's lap, "I suffer from night terrors, and when I have one, Len goes and gets Kaito. Kaito brings me out of it by singing Once Upon a December, than we ether talk or run to the bathroom for me to vomit. He would put me back into bed and let me fall asleep with my head on his lap."

"I know night terrors. Kaito suffered through them. In fact, I moved into his room when I was 9 so I could help him through them. I would sing Once Upon a December for him. Often times, our parents would find us asleep in the same bed." Akaito said, "Do you remember your night terrors? Kaito never did save for one image that of a red glass heart shattering."

"I remember the sounds over images. This time there was a constant beeping. I heard a jumble of voices. The beeping went on for a while, than it stopped only to be replaced by a long continuous tone. I heard someone say I'm afraid he is gone. It's really scary. Usually, my night terrors are about the plane crash." Rin explained.

"I can only imagine what you must have gone through shortly after Kaito collapsed, and during the two days it took for us to get home to you. The three of you did well. You knew the information to give to the doctors, and I hear you three discussed everything the doctors wanted to do to Kaito. Gumi told me she was very impressed with how you three handled yourselves." Akaito smiled down at Rin.

"I'm feeling much better now." Rin smiled back, "I know I wasn't calm during that time. You should thank Luka and Jodye. Jodye made sure we took care of ourselves. She makes a very tasty stir fry. I miss her now. Luka managed to deal with me and Len, go to school, and deal with Kaito's care. In fact, she would drop Len off at the hospital and go to school while I took the bus and pick me up after school. She would run to the hospital during her lunch break to get updates from Len and from Kaito's doctors. We were very relieved when Kaito woke up and was able to talk to us. I miss Kaito. I want him to get better."

"Kaito might not get better, Rin." Akaito choked on the words, "They are asking me about end of life care. I don't want you to be scared. We may have to say good bye to Kaito."

"No, we won't. Kaito is a fighter. I watched him go from wheelchair to walking in nearly four weeks. When he took those first shaky steps unassisted, I was so proud of him. He'd worked hard to come that far, and to do that in such a short time was miraculous. I cried happy tears for him. Even Len was crying, although he will deny it. I believe Kaito will get better. I know that he is fighting hard right now. Please, just give him more time." Rin spoke determinedly, "Don't give up on your own twin, Akaito."

"Rin, there is some good news too." I rose and joined them on the couch, "Mieko and Gakupo are going to be parents in a little over five months."

"I knew it!" Rin sat up with a smile.

"Gakupo also proposed to Mieko." Akaito added, "While they were stuck on the pole under the building."

"Poor Mieko. Miku gets the romantic proposal and Mieko gets proposed to while stuck under a building." Rin giggled, "May I go lay by Kaito until they come take him for the tests?"

"You can. I bet he would like that." I watched as Rin went and settled by Kaito. Sundae was in her spot between Kaito's neck and shoulder. She reached a black paw out and patted Rin, who giggled and gave her a scratch behind her ear.

"She is attached to him." Akaito said.

"So is Len. They see him as their big brother. They both love him. When they first moved into my tiny apartment with me and Kaito, they were shy and scared. I tried to be there for them while Kaito pretty much ignored them. He waited, letting them make their minds up about him. They are closer to him then they are to me. I don't mind. I pray they don't have to go through losing him. They've lost their parents, and Jodye. I knew Len was in love with Jodye. Rin loved Jodye like a sister. You know, it would be so neat if Mieko and Gakupo named their daughter Jodye." I said.

"They would be honoring Jodye that way. It is a good name. Jodye was an amazing girl. She blew me away with her dancing. She was so excited that she was going to get to dance with Kaito on stage. I had never seen her so happy before. I wish she survived." Akaito looked at his nearly lifeless twin, and Rin, asleep with her head on Kaito's chest. She had been lulled to sleep by his heart beat.

Dr. Hart joined us along with Dr. Harumi, Ann and Neru. Dr. Hart did a quick examination on Kaito, careful not to wake Rin.

"I see some improvement on the monitors. He knows Rin is by him." Ann said.

"I'm hearing noise I should not be hearing. The heart is not going to hold out much longer, and he is way too sick to undergo another transplant. Akaito, it is up to you, but I think it is time to let him go to Elysium." Dr. Hart turned to face us. Rin opened her eyes.

"I know it is hard, but you need to think about quality of life." Dr. Harumi said, "I already know what my tests will show me. Kaito is brain dead." An orderly wheeled in an EEG. Dr. Harumi hooked it up. We watched. The top four lines remained flat. Only the bottom line wiggled a bit. "I was right. He is in a vegetative state. People don't come back from this state often. Those that do remain lumps of drooling flesh. His quality of life is very poor, and I know you don't want him to live that way."

"Doctor, they are ready for him in radiology." the orderly prepped Kaito for travel and wheeled him away with Dr. Harumi following after Rin climbed down and took Sundae.

"If you were me, what would you decide?" Akaito asked.

"I would choose to pull the plug. I couldn't stand to see someone I love in Kaito's condition." Neru said, "It wouldn't be fair to them that I'm making them suffer because I don't want to say good bye. To me that is very selfish."

"I would do the same." Ann nodded.

"Sometimes it is better to say goodbye." Dr. Hart answered, "Kaito's prognosis is very poor. I can safely say he is not going to get better."

I turned to Akaito, "You know Kaito does not want to be dependent on life support."

"I know." Akaito closed his eyes, "I never thought I would actually do this."

"I don't want big brother to leave us." Rin whimpered.

Even Sundae looked sad. I knew that the cat knew we were deciding on Kaito's fate.

"Meaw?" Sundae asked.

"I know, Sundae." Akaito told the cat, "You would miss him too."

Kaito was wheeled back in. Dr. Harumi pulled the scan up onto her tablet. "I don't see anything alarming, but I do see damage to various spots of the brain. I see damage to the left middle ear. Does he have Meniere's by per chance?"

"He does." I said.

"That explains that. I see some damage to the balance center of his brain too, but that is due to the Meniere's. It is the other classical sign. It does not look pretty right now, but the brain is an amazing organ. I've seen cases where the brain heals itself. I feel very good that we will see that here too." Dr. Harumi explained her findings.

Teto rushed in. She checked the drain.

"Someone has been doing her job." She smiled.

"Neru told me to put the full bags in a biohazard bag in the sink." Rin said, "It helps me feel better knowing I'm helping."

"Back when I was only 5 years old, my mom, Ann, got sick. She had Pneumonia. She had a drain in her chest just like Kaito. I liked it when the nurse let me help change the bag. Having children help in the care of their loved one really does help them feel better. Mom got better." Neru said, "Kaito's heart rate is a bit low but it is within the normal range. Do you think you can keep an eye on it and push the red button to call me if the heart rate drops below 60 beats a minute? We need that heart to last long enough for him to recover enough to undergo a second heart transplant."

"I'm on it! Kaito will get better. I know it!" Rin answered.

"Don't give up on him. He may surprise us all and beat this. He has already surprised us before." Ann added, "Miracles do happen. Before I brought Sundae in, Kaito was doing very poorly. The team couldn't get him stabilized. I brought Sundae in and once she started purring and cleaning his face, he stabilized. I know for a fact that he is aware. He felt Sundae and responded to her affection. I know he loves her. I watched him struggle for an hour to pet her a few days ago. She helped by slipping under his hand and sitting up to let his hand fall down her back. It was pretty cute to watch. Sundae knows her master is ill and she is helping by being beside him. She is the best medicine we can offer Kaito right now and she knows it."

"Maw!" Sundae nodded from her spot, "Maw!"

"She agrees!" Rin laughed.

"Meow maw." Sundae told Kaito, nuzzling his chin, "Mew maw."

"I wish we knew what she is saying." I said.

"Kaito would know. I swear they have conversations." Akaito said.

The med staff left us alone. Rin dozed. Akaito and I shared a cuddle on the couch. All we could do was keep a constant vigil on our friend, brother, and master. It was quiet and very peaceful. I let myself drift off.

 **Queen Sunstar: I am not going to name the baby Jodye. I have a far better name in mind. That will be revealed soon too. Next chapter, Sundae gets to have a POV of her own, and Kaito will have a POV too. It has been a while since Luka has had a POV, so she'll get one soon. Feel free to review!**


	18. Calm

**Queen Sunstar: I seriously couldn't resist giving Sundae a POV. What Sundae does is the same thing my own black cat, Licorice, did while visiting me in the hospital. I was in the hospital fighting a severe bout of Viral Pneumonia. You don't get antibiotics for viral Pneumonia. It is caused by a virus, and antibiotics don't treat viruses, only bacteria. Yes, Licorice chased a mouse through the ICU, caught it, killed it, and brought it to me. He was very proud of himself. The nurse, not so much since he had to go dispose of it. Sundaes names for everyone are listed below.**

 **Kaito: Master**

 **Akaito: Not Master**

 **Miku: Two Tails**

 **Rin: Orange**

 **Len: Yellow**

 **Luka: Fish**

 **Gakupo: Purple**

 **Mieko: Red**

 **Sundaes word for human is furless. On to story!**

 **SUNDAE**

I lay curled up in my spot between Master's neck and shoulder. The Furless were sleeping. It was peaceful. To show Master I was still beside him, I gave off a purr. I raised my head to see if the salty water had returned to Mater's forehead. The salty water was back. I stood and arched my back in a good stretch before moving to stand beside Master's head. I began to lick up the salty water. Master was very warm again. I wrinkled my nose, smelling the Bad Smell coming from Master. Whenever I smelled the Bad Smell, Master would take to his bed for a few days. The Bad Smell always left him after a few days. I knew this was different. I had started smelling the Bad Smell moons ago. Master never took to his bed this time. I was worried. Master wasn't responding to me like he usually did.

"Master?" I asked, nosing his cheek. This always woke him up, but this time he did not respond. "Master, why won't you wake up?" I returned to my spot, but I didn't sleep. "Master, can you even hear me? I love you, my Master." There was no response. I had already checked out the snakes biting Master. There was a big white snake biting Master's neck. The snake had tried to slither down his throat, and it had a companion join it for a while two suns ago. There were multicolored thin snakes biting Master's chest in various places and I had tried to remove one only to be scolded by the Furless Two Tails. Several of the snakes dangled from smooth silver trees to bite Master too. I wanted the snakes gone. Two Tails had told me that if I removed a snake, I was going to be taken home. I left the snakes alone.

It felt like moons had passed since the ground monster made the ground move. I had tried to tell the Furless about it but they didn't listen. I was being very clear about it too. I even refused to touch the ice cream in my dish. That had galled me on the inside. I love ice cream. Master only gave me the white kind. I had once tried to taste the brown kind, but Master had shooed me away with a scold. Being scolded by Master hurt me more than anything I've known before. I kept trying to warn the Furless but it was useless. I know that if Master had been awake, he would have understood me.

I began to feel bored. Jumping off Master's bed, I went to my water dish. There were no squares of hard water to neither bat around nor carry to Master. I took a drink and checked my food dish out. It was full of brown crunchy rocks. I ate a few of the rocks before finding my ball. I batted my ball around for a bit. Still bored, I decided to explore. I had been told to stay inside the moving walls by Two Tails. I looked under them. Curiosity flooded my lithe black body. I sniffed the air.

My ears snapped up. I heard a tiny squeak. Mouse! I followed the scent to the edge of the moving walls. I saw the mouse a few tail lengths in front of me. Slowly, I crept forward, my eyes locked on my prey. The mouse looked up. I bolted after it. The mouse bolted away from my claws. I followed. Crashes followed by screams sounded behind me. I cornered the mouse against the wall and leapt, only to be caught mid leap by Orange. Orange scolded me firmly. She took me back to Master and leashed me up. Two Tails and Not Master scolded me too. My leash was held by Not Master. I went under a chair and laid down to sulk. Did they not see the mouse? To show that I was not happy, I sent a growl at the Furless. I received a light tug on the leash in response followed by the word no from Not Master. I settled on giving the Furless my best stink eye instead. After a bit, I got up and jumped up toward Master's bed, only to be stopped by the leash. I snubbed Not Master. Not Master picked me up and put me on Masters bed. I went to my usual place after the leash was removed.

 **KAITO**

I wanted to scream. I was not a vegetable. I could still think. I was a prisoner in my own body. I could hear everything going on around me. I couldn't interact in any way. I had tried to respond to the neurologist's commands but my body refused to listen. I couldn't move anything. I felt Rin curling up next to me, and Sundae licking my forehead. I tried to move something but again my body refused to respond.

"Well, Akaito?" Miku asked, "He wouldn't want to live this way. It is the right thing to do."

"I know his wishes. I don't know if I can survive living without him. He's always been there. Having him gone is a pain I don't want to face again." Akaito choked up. I heard his footsteps come close to me, and his hand taking my own hand. "Kaito, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to talk anyway." I felt his hand brush my bangs aside, "I know you are fighting so hard right now. I know how easy it would be to let go and slip away. Please, don't go. I'm not ready to say good bye yet. I don't want to live in this world without you in it. Please, big brother, come back to me. Wake up, Kaito, please wake up!" I heard the pain in his voice. Miku's footsteps came close me.

"You've done the impossible before!" Miku choked back a sob, "Kaito, please come back. Don't go!"

"I miss you, Kaito. You've defied the odds before, so how about another miracle? Can you give us a miracle?" Rin asked.

"Meaw?" Sundae asked.

My body remained unresponsive.

"I've decided. I'm going to have the plug pulled. It is not fair to him to keep him like this." Akaito was crying.

Akaito, wait! I'm still here! Again my body refused my commands. Come on self! Your own twin is going to kill you! Come on, a finger twitch, toe twitch, anything! Do something! Show that you are still here! Come on, finger move! Toe? Eyelids? Something please move! Again, nothing happened.

"Akaito, let's wait until everybody is here so they can say their goodbyes to Kaito too." Miku was crying, "I'm going to miss him so much!"

"I don't want big brother to die." I felt Rin bury her face into my shoulder and cry.

Hear that, self? You can do this! Something move now! I felt my eyelids move. That's it, now let's open! The next thing I knew, I was standing outside my body.

"Darn it." I sighed, knowing a certain reaper was going to pop up right. About. Now.

"Miss me?"

I jumped and turned to face Kiki, who had appeared right behind me.

"Do you seriously have to sneak up on me?" I asked drily.

"It's funny. Welcome to the Between World again. You are not alone this time. There are oh 24 other souls wandering around. Three of them are slated for reaping, 10 of them are unknown, and the rest will live. You are one of the unknowns. Ooh, got to go! Elevator crash in Sears Tower in America!" Kiki vanished.

I sighed, wondering if it was possible to reap a reaper. I watched as Akaito and Miku continued to talk to me lying in the bed. I had heard Akaito say he was going to pull the plug on me soon. I wondered if I had any way to show that I was still there and fighting. I did want to live. I knew I was not ready to walk down the crystal road.

"Many souls are never ready."

I jumped and spun again to snap only to freeze in place. A woman wearing a long white shirt over grey yoga pants with white sandals stood behind me. She looked very familiar to me. She had brown eyes and long brown hair tied in a French braid. What got my attention were the three pairs of wings on her back. The woman smiled. It clicked.

"Jodye?"

"I was Jodye. My name is Eturnia, and I am the Seraph of the crystal road. I came because I wanted to see you. I wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Kaito, for making my life worth living. I wish I could have stayed longer." Eturnia gave me a hug.

"You are welcome. Jodye is dead, right? What about Yoholoid?" I asked.

"Yes. My mortal shell is empty. My injuries were just too severe. It was also time for me to return to my duties upon the crystal road. I did want to live, but Buddha can be very persistent. I also broke a rule of the contract I signed with Buddha too. I was not to fall in love, but I did. I loved Len. I wish I didn't have to hurt him like I did. Yoholoid didn't survive ether. He would have survived but he did an admirable thing. He died so someone else could live. N'Sync is very thrilled that one of their own is alive again." Eturnia explained, "I am also here to take you to the crystal road. I leave your ultimate fate up to you. Even if the plug is pulled, you can still survive."

"So I get to decide what happens to me? That is easy. I want life." I replied, "I've got family and friends I can't leave. I can't hurt them by dying."

"Come." Eturnia took my hand and the world dissolved. A bright blue sky stretched out over me, fluffy white clouds drifting by. A white crystal road stretched out before me. Large blue crystals lined the road. In the distance on both sides of the road, crystal pillars rose into sharp points. Ahead was a giant door. The door was open, warm white light spilling forth from it. I turned around. A smaller door stood behind me. Its doors were open, and through them I could make out the trauma room. "Welcome to my home. You'll know when it is time to decide." Eturnia walked down the road toward the doors where she vanished through them.

I swallowed. The place was beautiful. Ahead, the light beckoned. It felt warm and I knew it loved me. Should I go? Could I hurt everyone by leaving? Did I want to leave? If I walked through those doors, my suffering would end. I would not hurt anymore. That met no more Meniere's attacks, no more bouts of chest pain, and no more vomiting after I eat. I would be free of it all.

If I went, I would never perform again. I would never see my family or my friends for a long time until they died. Would Akaito survive my passing? What about Rin? Len would take it hard as would Miku. Luka would bury her grief and try to keep everyone from falling apart. Mieko would take it hard too. Gakupo would be like Luka, putting his grief aside to help everyone else. The world would grieve too. I was beloved by many. Al, Uta, Lilly, and many others I'd performed alongside would grieve too.

Should I stay? That met coping with an endless cycle of pain that came and went. My Meniere's had been getting worse. My hearing in my left ear was diminishing, and my doctor had told me that I was going to be deaf in that ear soon. My balance had been getting bad too. I know everyone had noticed. Akaito had asked when He became the graceful one and I the klutz. It was usually Akaito that was the family klutz. He is the only person I know who manages to fall up the stairs. I had nearly ended up with a face full of stage floor more times than I cared to count. During our last sparing match, I had tripped and nearly ended up ran through by Gakupo's katana. It was Gakupo's quick twist that had saved me from explaining why I had a katana stuck in me. He'd been concerned, but I had insisted on continuing the match. Gakupo claimed victory after I yielded to him from the floor where he had sent me after a strong strike.

What did I want? Did I truly want life, or did I only want life because I was afraid of the pain my passing would cause everyone? If I stayed, would my Meniere's reach the point where I would be deaf and immobile? I did not want to live using a wheelchair and being reliant on others to care for me. I would avoid that by going. I would be free from my pain and suffering. There would be love and peace. My friends and family would grieve, but they would move on. My memory would be kept alive through music. Was this what I wanted?

I realized I was trembling. What was I afraid of? I knew the answer. I was afraid of living, of facing the coming pain, and of never fully recovering. By choosing to go, I was running away. I felt myself grow angry at myself. Since when was I a coward? Since when did I run? Yet I was scared of returning only to end up as an invalid. I closed my eyes, my mind going back a year and a half ago.

 _ **Kaito's Flashback**_

 _I only had to pick up Rin today. Gakupo had gone to pick up Luka from school around 11 after she got sick. She was home in bed with a fever and Gakupo taking care of her. Len was home sick with a fever too. I knew Miku was in mom mode with Mieko. Akaito was also down with a fever too. I offered to go pick up Rin. I was waiting for her in the pickup lane. Rin ran out to the car and climbed in._

 _"Sorry I'm a bit late. I went and got Len's schoolwork." Rin took the front passenger seat. I pulled out onto the road._

 _"How was school?" I asked._

 _"Awesome! Mrs. Shia is still gone! We got a new substitute today! He's a cousin of yours, Saito Shion!" Rin knew I always knew when something was up, "I do miss you teaching though." I had stepped in as a substitute teacher after Mrs. Shia got sick. I really had enjoyed teaching. There was nothing better than watching a student brighten as they solved the equation._

 _"I enjoyed being a teacher. If I couldn't perform anymore, I would be teaching." I said, "Saito was a child prodigy like me. We both graduated at 14 with both our high school diplomas and two year college diplomas with 4.0 GPAs in both high school and college. Akaito says Saito should have been my twin, not him."_

 _A loud roar filled my ears as my vision tunneled out. I blinked rapidly, recognizing the signs that I was about to faint. I tried to get to the side of the road before I went out, but I blacked out before I could. The last thing I did was shove Rin into her door._

 _"Kaito, wake up!" Rin's crying voice pierced the darkness of my mind. Sharp stabs of white hot fire pierced my body, bringing me around fully._

 _"Rin! Are you okay?" I went to move to face her but she stopped me._

 _"Kaito, don't move!" Rin's eyes were wide in horror, "I'm fine, but you are not!"_

 _"Why? Ow!" I stopped moving. Something was wrong with my body. I looked down, screamed. I had an iron pole cutting through my pelvis at a downward tilt. I tried to move my legs, but neither of them responded. I reached down and felt my right leg. Nothing. It was the same with my left leg. I heard screaming and realized it was coming from me._

 _"Calm down! Deep breaths. There you go. My door still works. I'm going to go find help. Everything is going to be okay."_

 _"No, it's not okay! I can't feel my legs!" I cried out._

 _"Easy, Kaito. You are scared. You are just numb from shock." Rin opened her door. I watched her leave. What if she was wrong? What if I was permanently paralyzed? That would be the worst thing ever! I absolutely hated having to have someone take care of me! Buddha, don't let it be permanent!_

 _"Kaito!" I turned my head. Zaito was at my open window, "Stay very still. I've got help on the way. Rin is inside my squad car. I saw the whole thing."_

 _"I can't feel my legs!" I cried out again, panic rising through me._

 _"Stop moving and calm down!" Zaito leaned through the window, "You've been impaled." He sniffed the air, "There is no gas smell. Focus on me. Inhale, exhale."_

 _Emergency personnel arrived. While they cut me out of the car, Zaito stayed by my side, talking to me and making sure I remained calm. As I was lifted from the wreckage, agonizing pain burned through me. My vision tunneled out as the roaring filled my ears._

 _"I'm going to faint!" My words came out garbled as everything went black a second time._

 _I came to as a paramedic inserted an IV into my arm. I noticed there were needle tracks up and down both my arms. I am infamous for my veins being notoriously difficult to tap. The vein collapsed again. The paramedic sighed. He picked up the phone._

 _"We can't get an IV in. Permission to try a central line?" the paramedic listened, "I see. Okay." He shut the phone off, "I'm going to have to try the IV on your leg."_

 _My pants were cut off. The IV took on the third try. It was on the inside of my right calf. I was given a dose of morphine._

 _"Your blood pressure suddenly dropped and they couldn't get a reading for five minutes." Zaito explained, "I'm taking Rin home and informing Akaito what happened."_

 _"Alright." I responded._

 _Zaito left and I was taken to Mercy._

 _"Kaito!"_

 _"Over here!" I raised my hand. I was on my side on a gurney next to the nurses' station. The Vocaloids rushed toward my voice. Luka and Akaito were still flushed from their fevers, and Len no longer looked flushed, just pale. Mieko made it to my side first._

 _"Are you okay?" Mieko asked._

 _Len suddenly made a dash toward the water fountain where he proceeded to vomit._

 _"If you consider okay as in massive agony, then yes, I'm okay." I replied._

 _"Sorry about that." Len looked shaky. Mieko went to him. Gakupo approached next._

 _"Why aren't they working on you yet?" he asked._

 _"I'm in the queue line for an OR." I replied, "You guys can come closer. I won't bite, I promise!"_

 _Everybody came closer to my side._

 _"You almost got Rin killed!" Miku hissed._

 _"Miku, he saved my life too by pushing me into the door. Please, don't be mad at him." Rin intervened._

 _"I fainted behind the wheel. I am so sorry about this, Miku." I tried, "Rin, I'm sorry."_

 _"Don't be. You can't control when you are going to faint. I'm not mad at you." Rin smiled._

 _"I am." Miku replied, "But I know it was an accident. My anger is because I'm a mom, and one of my cubs was put in danger."_

 _"I'm the sick one and she's all over Rin." Len complained, "She's been in mom mode all day since I threw up this morning."_

 _"She even canceled all of her appointments too." Mieko added, "So she could take care of Len and Akaito."_

 _"I'm being a mom and a good girlfriend." Miku said._

 _A nurse came to my side, "They are ready for him in the OR."_

 _We all said our good byes._

 _I woke on my side in a regular room five hours later free of the pole. I still couldn't feel anything waist down. I was in pain where I could still feel. What looked like a weird version of the halo was screwed into my body. The top ring was screwed into the bottom ribs of my rib cage with the bottom ring screwed into my pelvis. Two metal bars connected the two rings. It looked barbaric. Something told me a pair of halos had been used to make the contraption. It was not comfortable. Pillows had been packed around the torture device in an attempt to make me more comfortable. I spotted a morphine button and gave myself a dose. The door opened to let Mieko and Rin enter._

 _"How are you feeling?" Mieko drew up a chair along with Rin. "I made the others leave so they don't get you sick."_

 _"I'm sore, but okay. I still can't feel anything below my waist. So, am I going to live?" I asked._

 _"Yes, you'll live." Mieko was being strangely quiet._

 _"You know he needs to know." Rin said._

 _"I know." Mieko sighed, "Kaito, the pole did a lot of damage to your spine. It destroyed the lowest part of your spine, severing it from your pelvis. You are paralyzed."_

 _"So? I'll recover and be walking again in no time." I said._

 _"You don't understand, Kaito. You are not going to walk ever again." Rin explained gently, "It's permanent."_

 _My world came to a crashing halt. Rin's words echoed over and over again in my mind. Never walking again. Relying on caregivers. I was an invalid. The word invalid rang over and over again in my mind following Rin's words. I heard screaming, and it took a moment to realize it was coming from me. Several nurses rushed in followed by a doctor. Mieko and Rin were doing their best to calm me. I was having none of it. Something was injected into my IV and the next thing I knew, I was out._

 _When I came to, it was night and Mieko and Rin were still with me. I had been placed on my back with pillows supporting me. Their words rushed back to me. I looked away from them as tears flowed down my face._

 _"It will be okay. He has to come to terms with this on his own." Mieko told Rin._

 _"He is going to hate it. He barely tolerates us caring for him when he has one of his Meniere's attacks." Rin said._

 _"He doesn't have a choice this time. We all are learning from the med staff how to care for him when he is discharged." Mieko looked sad, "They are going to operate on his spine again to try to repair the damage, and Akaito asked them to find out why he is having fainting spells. We all will get through this. Buddha never gives you more than you can handle."_

 _"What if I pray to God to heal Kaito's spine so he can walk again?" Rin offered._

 _"You can. Sometimes miracles do happen." Mieko said._

 _I turned my head to face them, "I'm going to walk again."_

 _"I believe in you." Rin smiled, "I know you'll come back from this."_

 _Mieko opened her mouth to object, but thought better of it, "Don't get your hopes up too high. I don't want you to be too disappointed if you can't walk again."_

 _"If I truly can't walk, I'll accept it. I can't accept it without trying, so I am going to try to walk again. I have to try to overcome this." I narrowed my eyes, "No Shion has ever backed off from a fight, and I'm not going to be the first."_

 _I was discharged a week later after undergoing two more surgeries and being diagnosed with Hypotension. I was put on a new medication to combat it, and I had to continue to wear the torture device. For the first week after coming home, I brooded. I tried to spend as little time as I could in my wheel chair. I focused hard on getting a response from my legs. Gakupo made sure to work my legs daily so I wouldn't lose muscle tone. It was Saturday morning and Mieko had carried me to my chair in the living room when I was hit by agonizing pain shooting up and down my legs. Mieko came running at my cry. There was something else when she started to rub my legs. I was feeling her touch. I knew at that moment that I was going to regain my ability to walk and even dance. Each time the spasms came, Meiko, Gakupo, or Rin would rub my legs until it passed._

 _An MRI revealed what was happening. The nerves in the damaged section of my spine were regenerating and signals were getting through. My legs felt more like they were asleep. I was impatient to try walking again, but I had to wait for the nerves to finish healing. Gakupo stepped up his task of preventing atrophy from setting in my leg muscles. A few days after the MRI, I started physical therapy. Three weeks after the accident, I stood on my own for the first time with Rin and Len both ready to catch me should I start to fall. A week later, I took my first shaky steps toward Rin. Two weeks later, I ditched the wheel chair for good. Two weeks after that, I was back on stage dancing._

 **KAITO**

I opened my eyes. I had come back from that. Could I come back from this? Could I actually beat ES? I had heard Dr. Hart tell me that most ES patients don't live to see their 30s even with treatment. If I decided to fight, was I dooming myself to a few more years of suffering before dying? Would it be better to spare myself of that and die now? Should I stay or should I go? Will I even make it through the night? I sighed, my thoughts going to Bad Apple. Part of the song fit my situation. What should I do?

Eturnia returned to me.

"The time for you to decide is coming fast. Have you decided on what you are going to do?" Eturnia asked.

"No." I responded.

"It is entirely up to you." Eturnia replied, "I know it is a hard decision to make. You already know the answer right here." She touched my chest where my heart would be. "I can tell you this much. Should you decide to stay, you will face a huge uphill battle to recover, one in which you may not fully recover from. Should you decide to go, I will prevent you from feeling any pain. For you, I will grant you a quick and painless passing. You deserve that much, Kaito."

"Will it be peaceful?" I asked.

"It will be very peaceful. I promise." Eturnia promised, "Once your life ends, I will walk with you down the crystal road and guide you into Elysium. Elysium is a warm and inviting place. It is a very beautiful place. There is no pain or hardship, only everlasting peace. You'll be free."

"I have decided on what I'm going to do." I turned to Eturnia, "It is time that I think about myself. I've given so much of myself to everyone that there is nothing left for me. I need to do what I know is right for me, not for everybody else."

 **Queen Sunstar: What has Kaito decided? Is he going to stay or go? That is coming up too. Also coming up, Len nearly gets himself killed, Gakupo and Mieko choose a name for their baby, and Akaito finally reaches a decision on whether or not to take Kaito off life support. Next chapter, Luka finally has another POV, and Xaito returns, and will have a POV too. This story is now officially my longest story on at 18 chapters. I honestly thought this was going to be a 5 to 7 chapter affair. On my writing program, the story is now over 64K words long. I've never wrote something this long before, so this is a record for me. My longest work before this story was my novel, Twilight Beach, at 55K words. It is a published story by the way.**


	19. Decision

**LUKA**

I stared out the window of the medical transport plane. Mieko had been discharged, and Gakupo was being transferred to Empire State. Len was asleep next to Gakupo in the back clinging to his Pikachu. Mieko sat facing Gakupo as they discussed names. I sighed. Mieko was due around my 17th birthday. I had been feeling pangs of jealousy, which was ridiculous. Why was I jealous of my unborn sister? I had no reason to be jealous, in fact, I couldn't wait for her to be born. So, why was I jealous?

"I give up." I muttered.

"Why?" Gakupo asked.

"I'm jealous of my unborn baby sister, and it is driving me nuts that I can't figure out why." I grumbled.

"That is perfectly normal. You've had me all to yourself for years. Now you have to share me, and that is what is making you feel jealous. It will pass. I'll still love you and I'll make sure to put aside time that is just for me and you." Gakupo said, "Why don't you join us in discussing what to name your little sister?"

"That makes sense. What are your choices?" I asked, feeling better.

"Mikasuki, Shinako, or Jodye." Mieko said, "I'll do the same. We are not abandoning you. It will feel like you are being ignored at times, but know that it is not intentional. Babies need a lot of attention and care. I understand where you are coming from. After my sisters, Miki and Misha were born, I felt like mama and papa had abandoned me. I was five years old at the time. One day I decided to leave and see how long it would take for them to realize I was gone, so I went and climbed up our cherry blossom tree. Within five minutes, mama was calling my name. She had to call papa to come and help me get down from the tree. I learned that they still loved me. After that, they both put aside time for me and them alone."

"I adopted you for a reason you know. I see you as my little sister. Changes are coming and it can be scary." Gakupo said.

"Thanks you two. I feel better now. I like the name Jodye, but my mother hated the idea of naming someone after someone else. She felt like it was a curse to the child because they were forced to conform into someone they were not. She didn't mind if the middle name was someone else's name. She's American. She moved here for college and fell in love with my father so she stayed. I only wish my father wasn't so evil." I said, "While I like the name Jodye, I'd pick Shinako. It means faithful child. Mikasuki is nice too. It means new moon. I like Shinako the best."

"Luka and Shinako." Mieko mused, "I like it."

"I would like to honor Jodye, but Shinako Kaumi works better than Jodye Kaumi." Gakupo said.

"We can honor her in a different way." Mieko said.

"I know a way. I'm going to dedicate my next song to her, and that song is going to be about her. I was writing it for her." I replied, "She has felt the beat of the song and danced to it."

"She would like that." Mieko said, "Shinako is kicking! I do wish she wouldn't use my bladder for a soccer ball."

I felt her stomach. A tiny foot connected with my hand and I smiled. "Hello, little sister. I can't wait to meet you. Mieko, may I be in the room with you when you give birth?"

"Yes you can. I want to have a home birth if I can." Mieko smiled.

"So, we've decided on Shinako?" Gakupo asked.

"It looks like it, Gakupo." Mieko smiled, "There she goes again. Now I have to pee."

"You were drinking when we are in Seattle!" Gakupo looked horrified.

"Actually, I wasn't drinking. I asked for a nonalcoholic wine." Mieko smiled, "I've had not one drop of alcohol since I found out I was pregnant. After I give birth, I intend to drink an entire case of sake."

"You may have your sake, but please keep it at a minimum." Gakupo said.

"We have arrived at Empire State Medical Center. We will be landing soon."

The transport made a neat landing and Gakupo was transferred to a wheelchair at his insistence. Akaito and Rin met us at the entrance, and we were taken to Kaito's room, which coincidently was 5A like before. Gakupo refused to be put in another room so a bed was brought into 5A for him to use.

When I got to Kaito's side, I gasped in shock. He looked way worse than before. His skin was pasty blueish color all over, and he was badly swollen from edema. The only color besides the blue tint of his skin was a band of red across his face. Sundae was up by his head, licking his forehead to remove the sweat. I gave her a scratch behind her ear. I loved curling up with her on my lap to read. I gently brushed his bangs off his forehead. The edema was inching ever closer to his head. I knew he was in a deep coma. He was not responding to any stimulus of any kind. I wondered if he was even aware of anything.

I spotted the EEG. All the lines except for the bottom line were completely flat. The bottom line was twitching faintly. I knew that what the EEG was showing was really bad. I drew up a chair by his bed and sat down. Rin was asleep against him, her hand clutching his. The twins were very close to Kaito. They had adopted him as their big brother, a role Kaito was more than happy to fill. They weren't the only ones. Besides Gakupo, I considered Kaito a big brother too. The whole family was together again, but I could see the strain on everyone's faces save for Kaito and Rin. I reached out and took Kaito's hand into my own. His hand was so swollen from the edema that I couldn't fit my hand around his.

"Oh Kaito, I hate seeing you so sick. Why didn't you at least say something? I hate it when you hide things like this from us. We would have helped you push for answers. Please, don't leave us." I closed my eyes, fighting my tears, "Please, wake up, Kaito!" I couldn't keep my tears at bay anymore. "Don't go!"

A gentle hand was placed on my shoulder. I looked up to see Miku. She hugged me.

"Since we are all here, there is something I need to tell you." Akaito stood up.

"Is Miku pregnant?" Len asked.

"I wish, but no. As you know, I have been dealing with a heartbreaking choice. Well, I've made my decision. Tonight at 7:00, they are going to shut off life support." Akaito explained.

Save for the tones of the many machines keeping Kaito alive, the room went dead silent. Rin's eyes snapped open, her face a mask of shock and horror.

"No. NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I WON'T LET YOU!" Len broke the silence, "YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM AWAY! YOU CAN'T!"

"Len, please-" Miku tried.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Len screamed, tears running down his face.

"Len-"

"NO!" Len bolted from the room. I got up and ran after him. He ran out of the hospital and across the parking lot. I struggled to catch up. He was heading for the street. I saw what he clearly had not seen. A large truck was coming down the street. I tried to put on more speed, but I knew I would not make it. Len ran into the street. I came to a stop and closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face. I heard the squeal of brakes, and Len's voice cutting out mid scream. I didn't want to open my eyes, but I knew I had to do it. I opened my eyes. Len wasn't lying broken in the street. Instead, he was in the arms of a blue haired man wearing the army uniform of the empire. As I got closer, I saw that he had blue eyes, and a short blue scarf. I did a double take. The man was a dead ringer for Kaito, if Kaito was well built and muscular, and had a scar on his chin. I blinked. This man was clearly a Shion. The man sat up still holding Len.

"Son, you should be more careful. You just about became a hood ornament." The man stood. Len got to his feet, head hung low. "I'm Shion Xaito, cousin of Akaito and Kaito."

I remembered my manners, drilled into me by Gakupo of course. "I'm Megurine Luka." I waited, "Len?"

"Kagamine Len." Len grumbled.

"Len, this man just saved your life!" I hissed at him.

"I'd rather be a hood ornament than alive!" Len screamed.

Xaito guided us into the hospital and into an unused waiting room, before kneeling so he was level with Len.

"Why?" Xaito asked kindly.

"They're going to take Kaito off life support so he can die!" Len growled.

"I know it is hard to believe, but Akaito is doing the right thing." Xaito soothed.

"How is killing your own twin the right thing?" Len started crying again.

"Len, what if Rin were in Kaito's place? What would you do?" I asked.

"I wouldn't kill her!"

"Kaito is in a lot of pain right now. I know you don't want him to hurt anymore. Sometimes when someone gets very sick like Kaito is, it is better to let them go. Akaito is doing the kindest thing he can do." Xaito reasoned.

"How is killing Kaito kind?" Len sobbed, "He can't do this! It's not fair!"

"Akaito is putting an end to Kaito's pain and suffering. I know you don't want Kaito to hurt anymore." I fought back my tears. Just how much could I cry in one day? "I don't want him to go ether, but I know it is the kindest thing we can do for him."

"What about us?" Len asked.

"How do you think Kaito is feeling right now?" Xaito asked.

"He probably feels really miserable and is hurting really bad." Len answered.

"Do you want him to continue to feel miserable and in pain?" Xaito pressed.

"No. I want him better, and back to his normal self." Len admitted.

"I had ES." Xaito said, "I never had the edema or the cyanosis. I did feel very miserable, and I hurt a lot too. I was your age, Len, when I was diagnosed. My step dad's heart beats inside me now. I beat ES, but Kaito's condition is far more critical. ES is very rare. Kaito probably didn't have any idea how serious his condition was until it was too late. He has always done this, even when we we're growing up. He has always powered through colds and other illnesses. The only time I've seen him look and act sick was when he ruptured his right kidney. He was in so much pain he couldn't get out of bed. He actually asked to go to the doctor so mom and I took him to the doctor. I had to carry him in because he was in so much pain he couldn't walk. It was his right side and we were thinking appendix. A CT scan revealed a ruptured kidney. The infection was so bad he spent three months in the hospital. That is the only time beside now that I've ever seen him look sick. He hid it, didn't he?"

"He did, very well. Nobody noticed anything until he collapsed." I said, "Um, did you experience fainting spells before you were diagnosed?"

"I did. I was put on Celta to keep my blood pressure from dropping. I'm still on it." Xaito stood, "Let's go see Kaito."

The three of us returned to 5A, and went in. Xaito went to Akaito. I knew that the soldier already knew what his cousin had decided. The two of them began to talk in hushed voices. After a minute, they both turned and faced us.

"We have talked, and I have decided that I will wait until morning instead to pull the plug." Akaito spoke first.

"I'm only here because they need two signatures for the papers stating they can go through with the procedure, and Kaito named Akaito as his health care proxy, and gave me power of attorney in his Will." Xaito explained, "Between the two of us, we have decided to give Kaito one last chance to pull through. If he can show improvement by morning, we will hold off on pulling the plug. If there is no improvement, the plug will be pulled. I have requested a leave of absence from my unit so I can be here. I'm here for six months total. My other reason is so that I can be Kaito's care giver."

"Why you?" Mieko asked, her tone sharp.

"It is nothing against you guys. I know Kaito will be more comfortable in the care of a family member, and since I've faced, fought, and defeated ES, it makes more sense for me to do it. I know what symptoms to look for, and I won't need to be trained as my position in the army is army medic. I can pretty much do anything a regular doctor can, except I draw the line at operating. When the time comes for me to return to my unit, I'll pass his care onto you. By then he should be pretty far along on the road to recovery and not need me anymore." Xaito explained, "But I will return to my unit if you guys feel you can handle it."

"It does make sense. You are pregnant too." Gakupo said to Mieko.

"Three of us are in school all day." Rin spoke up, leaving only Gakupo, Akaito, and Miku. Miku couldn't carry Kaito if she had to."

"With my ribs, there is no way I could handle having to carry my brother." Akaito nodded, "And Gakupo does have a broken wrist. Face it, we all need help. If you think you can handle us, welcome."

Mieko was about to object, but thought better of it, "I did carry Kaito to his chair in the living room every morning after the pole incident. I see what you are getting at. It is just the mom part of me acting up, plus pregnancy hormones." She turned to Xaito, "If you hurt anyone in this family, you'll be lucky if you return to your unit in one piece."

"You have my word." Xaito knelt and kissed Mieko's hand.

"Ooh, a gentleman." Miku swooned. Akaito cleared his throat. "Are we jealous, future hubby of mine?"

"Seriously? For one thing, that is my future wife, so I should be the jealous one, not you, unless there is something I need to know about." Gakupo waited.

"I'm not jealous!" Akaito sputtered, "For the last time, that kiss was purely accidental. I was down with a fever, and I sat up right as Mieko leaned over me."

"Gakupo, that was two years ago. Get over it!" Mieko growled.

"Do we have to hash this out again?" I asked, "This is no time to be fighting. I know we all are stressed out and at the end of our ropes. Our focus needs to be on Kaito."

"I've always had feelings for Miku alone." Akaito added, "That was three months before we finally admitted our feelings to each other."

"Gakupo, I have had a lot of boyfriends before you, and that doesn't bother you. An accidental kiss from Akaito bothers you?" Mieko asked, "You are the first one I've been intimate with."

"So, I take it Akaito is the other boyfriend?" Gakupo was grinning as he spoke, "It has never bothered me. I just like giving Akaito a hard time."

This was one of those rare moments that I wondered just how I ended up in this crazy family. I knew I would never leave this family. Sure, we had our moments, but this family was one that I was a proud member of. Now, if only Kaito would get better. I hated seeing him so sick and so still. I realized I had never seen him act sick. Even when he was down with one of his fevers, he never acted like he was sick. He still performed with us even when he was suffering through one of his Meniere's attacks. In fact, during one concert, he would duck backstage and vomit than return acting like nothing was wrong. Like everyone else, I did wish he would take better care of himself, and start saying something when he wasn't well.

Did Kaito even realize how seriously ill he was? I thought back a few days ago when he first woke up after arriving at Seaside. He had said he didn't think anything was wrong at first. I thought. Kaito was always taking care of us much like Mieko did. Rin always wanted him to take care of her when she was sick. Len was the same way. I preferred Gakupo, but Kaito was fine too. Had he ever actually put aside time for himself? I tried to remember, but I couldn't. I knew everyone was wishing for the same thing, that Kaito would wake up.

Rin suddenly gasped. We all looked at her. She pointed at the EEG. We looked. The bottom line slowly ceased its movements and went flat. We all gasped. Akaito ran from the room and returned with Dr. Harumi. She looked at the readings. Her shoulders drooped and her head went low. She stayed that way for a few moments before turning to face us.

"He is brain dead." She spoke quietly.

"What does that mean? You can get him back, right?" Len asked.

"It means that the brain has died. Unfortunately, I can't shock the brain like I can with the heart. He is gone." Dr. Harumi choked back a sob.

"Can people recover from this?" Len asked.

"They can't. Once the brain dies, there is no hope of recovery. All that can be done now is to pull the plug." Dr. Harumi was trying not to cry. Tears came anyway. "Dang it. Why do I always cry when I do this?"

"Should we do it now?" Akaito turned to Xaito.

"No. Wait until morning." Xaito decided, "I need to go place a few calls. Dr. Harumi, have you heard of a machine called a Deep Electrogram?"

"I have, and I think I know what you are thinking. The EEG is sensitive, but the DE is way more sensitive. Do you think you can get one here?" Dr. Harumi asked.

 **XAITO**

I had seen the look on the faces of the Vocaloids, and I recalled the DE. The question was; could I convince my Captian to get it to me? The DE was created by the army as a device to force prisoners to talk. It was painless and effective. Most prisoners sang before we even got the machine into the room. It was discovered that it could be used to pick up brain activity an EEG couldn't. At my base, we had one that had been recently converted from torture device to ultra-sensitive EEG.

"I am going to try." I replied, "I can't let my cousin go until we've tried everything."

"If it helps, I could ask my uncle, Emperor Gakupi, to, uh, pull some strings." Gakupo said.

"Let me try my Captian first." I went outside and sat down on a bench. I pulled out my cell phone and entered the codes for the encryption software. I put in my Captains number and waited. It would take three minutes for the call to be routed through security. After three minutes, my phone rang. I answered.

"Captain Suki, sir, Sargent Shion Xaito. Code 89427." I waited.

"Sargent, to what do I owe the pleasure? Did your cousin pass?" Suki asked.

"He's at the end. Remember the favor you owe me after I saved your sorry carcass in Hong Kong? I'd like to call it in." I said.

"What do you need?"

"I need the DE."

"The DE?"

"Yes. I need to know if Kaito really is gone, that there really is no activity in his brain."

"I'll see what I can do, but I can't guarantee anything."

"How about a direct order from the Emperor himself?"

"That would work. How would you get it?"

"Let's just say I know the Dancing Samurai."

"I see. I'll get the ball rolling."

I closed the phone and returned to 5A.

"My Captain is working on it, but she may require a note from the Emperor."

"You need a note from me?" As if he heard his name, the Emperor himself walked into the room.

I promptly dropped to one knee in respect as I was taught in boot camp. Everyone else who could bow bowed.

"I am sorry I can't bow at the moment. I have a healing incision on my stomach, and if I bow, I could rip my stitches." Miku apologized.

"There is no need for formalities." Gakupi smiled, "So, who needs my permission?" I explained. "I see. I'll let my General know. It will be here in about an hour. I can see that he is very important to you." Gakupi stepped out of the room and returned a minute later, "General Iroh will have the DE here in 15 minutes. Gakupo, have you thought about what I asked you?"

"I have. Since I am a Kamui, it is only right that I honor my birthright. I accept your request, Uncle." Gakupo answered.

"Request?" Luka asked.

"After the recent disaster, I'm next in line to become Emperor. I have agreed to it. Len, don't you dare open your mouth. This won't happen for a while yet. I still have some years of performing in me yet." Gakupo explained.

Len shut his mouth, "Does this mean we get perks?"

"No." Gakupo sighed.

We all hung out and talked until Dr. Harumi came to tell us that the DE had arrived. A short girl wearing a short black dress with black combat boots, a black choker with a yellow charm on it and black gloves entered the room carrying a suitcase. She wore a stethoscope along with cat ears and a cat tail with a bell tied onto it. The girl smiled.

"My name is Aamito Aroha. I am sorry for my cat get up. I was performing as my alter ego, Mew Mika, at a birthday party for a little girl. I am the creator of the DE. It is all right here inside this suitcase." She set the suitcase on the bed and opened it. A laptop sat inside next to a folded up halo, a small metal case, and several restraints. She took out the restraints. "I have to restrain him. This protects him by keeping him from moving." She lifted out the laptop and turned it on before removing and unfolding the halo. Opening the small metal case, she removed several long and thin needles. "These will go right into the cranial nerves. What the DE does is instead of reading the electrical output of the brain, it sends signals through the nerves and waits for a response. If the brain responds, than clearly it is not dead." She continued to set up.

"Can you restart a dead brain with that?" Len asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but no. It doesn't work that way. The DE works like radar. It sends signals and waits for the bounce back." Aroha finished setting up, "Don't get your hopes up. I'm sending the first signal now." We waited. Aroha stared at the screen. I moved so I was standing by her. "Come on; give me something I can work with here! Got you!" Aroha's fingers danced over the keyboard, "Here we are." She stepped back to let everyone see the five lines spiking across the screen, "We've got activity. That means he is still in there somewhere. These are signals from deep within the brain, signals that no EEG is going to pick up. Don't lose hope. When these go flat, the brain is done."

 **Queen Sunstar: The DE is actually a working concept. It has yet to be applied in medicine or in convincing prisoners talk. Here, it is being used to detect the last gasps of a dying brain. It is not possible whatsoever to come back from brain death. Once the brain is dead, that is it. It is over, done, finished. Please do the right thing by letting your loved one go instead of keeping them alive by machine. Look at it this way. All you have left is a shell, nothing more. There is no life left inside that shell. Sorry for my rant here. With that out of the way, coming up, we will witness Kaito being taken off life support, and we will finally meet the parents of Kaito and Akaito too. See you next chapter!**


	20. Fight for Life

**KAITO**

"I have decided on what I'm going to do." I turned to Eturnia, "It is time that I think about myself. I've given so much of myself to everyone that there is nothing left for me. I need to do what I know is right for me, not for everybody else."

"What have you decided?" Eturnia asked.

"Shions don't turn their backs and run from battles. My choice is clear. I'm going to live. I choose life." I answered, "Yes, the coming battle will be hard, but I know I won't face it alone. I've got my family and friends to fight for. It doesn't feel right to just give up without even giving myself a fair chance to fight back. I owe it to myself to at least try."

"Are you sure of this? It won't be an easy battle." Eturnia asked.

"I am sure. I know it will be hard, but I also know I can come out on top." I answered.

"I knew you would choose life." Eturnia smiled.

The next thing I knew, I was back in my body. I felt a strange buzzing going on inside my head. It felt like the feeling in your leg after it has gone to sleep. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to have in your head.

Everything hurt. The ever present vice constricted my lungs. Each breath that was forced into my body brought waves of sharp knives stabbing my chest. Each beat of my failing heart sent agonizing spasms rolling through my body. I was trapped in a sea of pain. I forced myself to ignore the pain. I have a very high pain threshold, plus a little trick I use to deal with pain. I visualize the area the pain is coming from behind a wall. Pain can't pass through that wall, leaving me free to deal with other things. It is my go to trick for the crippling headaches of my Meniere's.

I knew I needed to prove medical science wrong and convince Akaito and Xaito that I was still living. A few moments passed. Boredom set in.

It was quiet. I could hear the occasional footsteps, but no one was talking. There was the occasional hand brushing my bangs off my forehead, the gentle squeeze of my hand, the rough tongue of Sundae licking my forehead from time to time, but I was bored.

"We need sleeping arangements." Mieko said, "Rin and Len can barely keep their eyes open."

"We are not leaving!" Len tried to hiss, but it came out as a yawn instead.

"We are staying here!" Rin growled.

"You two are ready to drop." Miku said.

"We. Are. Staying!" Rin snapped, "This could be Kaito's final night, and we are not leaving him alone!"

"You two are exhausted. We all are." Gakupo said, "Luka passed out next to me a while ago."

"Is it okay if I go lay beside Kaito?" Rin asked.

"It is." Miku yawned, "It looks like we are all staying. Akaito and I can manage with the couch."

"I'll be fine on the floor. You get used to sleeping anywhere in the military." Xaito said.

"Mieko is on my other side. That leaves Len." Gakupo said.

I felt Rin curl up next to me, her hand going for my own. A few moments later, Len settled against my other side, and took my other hand. This was not the first time the three of us ended up in the same bed. I've lost count on how many times I've fallen asleep in the twin's room after soothing Rin. While their room was being repainted, they stayed with me in my room. They were going to use their sleeping bags, but they both ended up in my bed on either side of me. I didn't care. It was merely older brother sharing his room with his younger brother and sister. I felt both twins settle into sleep.

It was peaceful. I felt myself relax. I could do this. I would fight back and recover. I went to sleep shortly after as peace settled over me.

 **AKAITO**

Morning came way too fast for me. I lay under Miku, who was already awake. We got up carefully so we wouldn't aggravate our injuries. Aroha was sitting by her laptop, which still showed the spiking lines. She shut her laptop off and shook her head sadly.

"He stopped responding during the night." She said, "I was going over the recordings again."

I knew it was time. I turned toward Kaito, who looked so peaceful. Hopefully he would pass quickly. I knew I was doing the right thing, but it still hurt a lot. Xaito rose from the floor where he had slept. How he could sleep on cement floor, I would never know. Oliver came in with a sheet of papers followed by Dr. Hart. Wordlessly, he handed me the papers. Xaito and I signed them. Oliver and Dr. Hart signed them. Everyone else got up. Oliver moved to stand beside the life support equipment.

"It's time." Oliver said solemnly.

I nodded, "May we say our goodbyes first?"

"Go ahead." Oliver answered.

I went first.

"Kaito, its Akaito. I never thought it would end this way. I am going to miss you so much. I know I'm doing the right thing, but it still hurts. I wish this wasn't happening, that you never got sick, but it is. Goodbye, my brother. May we meet in Elysium someday." I hugged my brother for what I thought would be the last time.

"It's Miku. Don't worry about us. We will get through this somehow. I promise I will take care of Akaito in your place. I will miss you. I loved singing and dancing with you. I can't believe this is goodbye! Goodbye, Kaito!" Miku went next, also hugging Kaito.

"It's Gakupo. I promise to maintain Shion. I will miss our sparing matches, performing beside you, annoying you to no end with mine and Mieko's… extracurricular activities, and I wish you could meet my unborn daughter, Shinako. I will make sure she knows you. Hard to believe this really is happening. Goodbye, my friend." Gakupo choked back a sob.

"Mieko here. Goodbye, Kaito. I'm going to miss you so much!" Mieko couldn't continue.

"Why is this happening?" Luka cried, tears streaming down her face, "It's Luka. Why couldn't we get a good outcome? Why? Goodbye, Kaito. See you in Elysium someday!"

"Rin here. Somehow, I'll get over this. I'm going to miss you rescuing me from my night terrors. I'm going to miss hearing you sing! I can't believe this is goodbye! Goodbye, big brother!" Rin sobbed hard as I guided her away from Kaito's side. Len was last.

"You can't do this to us!" Len broke, "Why did this happen? Why did you have to get so sick? Why wouldn't you say something to us that you were unwell? I don't want you to go! Goodbye, big brother!"

I nodded to Oliver, who turned off the machines. We watched, Sundae in her spot. She stood and moved so her head was lying against Kaito's chest. I looked at the heart monitor. We waited. Miku started to sing Saihate. Before long, we all had joined in, our voices joining together beautifully. I caught Dr. Hart wiping his eyes. Xaito was completely stoic, his face emotionless.

"Have we ever sung together before?" Luka asked after we finished the song.

"No, we haven't." Gakupo closed his eyes.

The heart monitor continued to beep. I was beginning to wonder how much longer it would be until Kaito left us.

20 minutes passed. Sundae raised her head and gave a low cry that sounded eerily like a human moaning. She held the cry, wetness beading under her eyes. Again and again she made the strange cry. It was hard to watch her, and very creepy to listen to her. I knew she was grieving for her master. I wondered how much longer Sundae would be around. I'd heard that animals that lose their humans did not live for much longer. The heart monitor was still beeping.

"Oh, Sundae!" I folded over onto Kaito's body, unable to hold back my tears. I held him, my body shuddering with heavy sobs. I felt Sundae burrow under my chin and press her face into my upper chest.

"I HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY, BUDDHA! DO YOU THINK THIS IS EVEN FUNNY? IT'S NOT! I WANT KAITO BACK! THIS IS NOT FAIR! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GIVE HIM SUCH A SHORT LIFE FULL OF ILLNESS, HUH? WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET HIM LIVE? I HATE YOU, BUDDHA! I HATE YOU!" I screamed at the ceiling, "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? HUH? WHY ARE YOU PUNISHING ME?" I clung to my brother's body.

"Akaito, it will be okay." Miku came to my side and hugged me. I went stiff, not wanting the hug but tolerating it for her sake. "We will get through this. Kaito was a great friend to me. He was there for me when I needed him. He was there for all of us. It is going to be okay."

"Miku." My voice came out as a whimper.

"Shh, I'm here." She pulled me away from Kaito.

In the background, the heart monitor continued to beep.

 **KAITO**

I was back on the crystal road. The sound of a door closing got my attention. I turned to see the doors leading to life shut. I gasped, and ran to them. I searched for a doorknob and found none.

"No, no!" I fell to my knees and beat helplessly on the doors, "Open up! I can't be dead! I can't!"

"You are not dead, at least not yet."

This voice was very familiar. It was one I had not heard in six years. I turned. From within the light, two figures emerged. One was a woman, a very familiar woman. She had short blue hair and blue eyes. She wore a short blue dress with a long blue scarf tied in a bow on the back of her neck. Blue boots completed her look. Standing next to her was a very familiar man. He wore black pants with a yellow stripe on them, and a blue shirt under a long white jacket with a blue trim, a pair of blue and white shoes, and a blue scarf. I knew who they were. Getting up, I ran to the woman's waiting arms.

"My Kaito! How I've longed to hug you again!" the woman returned my hug.

This was my mother, Kaita Shion. Next to her was my father, Laito Shion.

Kaito." Laito smiled.

"I know, you've come to take me home to Elysium." I turned away, "I don't want to go."

"No. Eturnia knows how badly you want to live. She let us come in her stead. Kaito, we both are very proud of you." Laito hugged me.

"No?" I asked, confused, "Why else would you be here?"

"We are not here for that, Kaito." Kaita smiled.

"We both can see how badly you want to live. Kaito, there is something Eturnia didn't have the heart to tell you. If afterward, you want to go, you can come with us to Elysium." Laito looked at his wife, "It would be better if it came from you, Kaita."

"Are you sure? He might take it better from you than me." Kaita answered.

"Would you two just tell me already? You both did this after I woke up from kidney surgery." I sighed.

"You will recover, but it will come with a price." Kaita began, "I wish I knew more, but I can tell you it won't mean you will lose somebody."

"You will have to give up something you love." Laito finished.

"I don't care. I still want to live. It doesn't matter what price I must pay. Living, even if it means my career as a performer is over, is more important to me." I responded resolutely.

"We love you, Kaito." Laito said.

"Akaito needs closure, so don't forget to tell him what happened to us. Let him know that we love him." Kaita hugged me again.

"Go on and live your life, my son." Laito smiled.

After a final hug, I watched as my parents returned to Elysium. I turned to find the door to life open. I squared my shoulders, and stepped through.

 **LEN**

55 minutes had passed since Kaito was taken off life support. His heart monitor was still beeping. I glanced at Akaito. How long did it take for someone to die? Anger flooded me. This wasn't right! Kaito didn't deserve to die! Buddha, please, let him stay with us!

"It could not be more clear, Akaito." Xaito broke the silence, "Kaito is not ready to pass."

"Oliver, turn it on." Akaito whispered, his voice hoarse from crying and screaming his grief earlier.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked.

"We are very sure. Kaito is not dying today." Xaito nodded.

Oliver reattached the machines to Kaito and stepped back to let Dr. Hart through. Dr. Hart did an examination and drew blood.

"He really is a fighter." Dr. Hart said, "I have never seen someone fight so hard in all my years of practicing medicine."

After he left, I went to Kaito's side.

"I always knew you were a fighter, big brother." I whispered, "Please, get better. I miss you."

"We all miss him." Rin blinked back tears.

"Standing here moping isn't helping matters. You guys need to go eat and get some fresh air." Gakupo said, "I'll keep an eye on him. I can't go anywhere yet."

"Gakupo is right. We need to keep our strength up. It won't do Kaito or Gakupo any good if we keel over in starvation and exhaustion." Mieko replied.

"I'm not-" I started, but my stomach had other ideas. It let out a loud growl. "I guess I could go for a Cuban banana."

We left Gakupo alone with Kaito and went to the cafeteria for breakfast. I was hungrier than I thought, mowing through multiple servings of everything. The mood was lighter. After we finished breakfast, Mieko took us all outside to the hospital garden for some fresh air. Rin found a porch swing, while I walked among the flowers. Miku and Mieko shared a bench, Miku exclaiming as she felt Mieko's baby kick against her hand. Luka joined them. Akaito walked around as well. We enjoyed ourselves.

"When Kaito is able, we've got to bring him here." Rin said, "It is peaceful."

"Hey, there is a waterfall!" I stopped to admire the waterfall. A soft croon sounded behind me. I turned around. A deer walked toward me. It gave a soft croon as it reached me.

"Oh, I see you've met Mika, our deer. You can pet her. She is very gentle." I turned again. Ann smiled, "We keep a few animals in here. They have worked wonders for our patients. Beside Mika, There is Neko, our Lynx, Mac, our blue Macaw, Suki, our very rambunctious wolf hybrid, and finally, there is the Duck. It moved in one day and never left. We also have our colony of Meerkats. You'll see them running around the hospital. I like coming here because it helps me relax."

I began to pet Mika, "Shouldn't she be in the wild?" I asked.

"Normally yes, Mika would be living in the wild where she belongs. If you look, you'll notice she has a prosthetic leg. Because of that, she wouldn't last long in the wild. She has a happy home here. Neko is perfectly normal. She lives in the forest zone and has a fondness for old men. Mac lives in the same area. He loves entertaining people with his tricks. Suki is a sweetheart when he wants to be. He is high energy and loves playing with kids. His handler always makes sure to stay nearby. The Duck avoids everyone save for my husband. The colony is everywhere. They often pop up in patients rooms to visit, and on occasion, one will be found napping in very odd places."

I heard Rin giggling. Mika turned her attention to Ann. I joined Rin, who pointed up at a large blue parrot hanging upside down on a branch. We watched as Mac mimicked various animals and performed tricks. All too soon, Mieko called us. It was time to return to Kaito's room. I did feel better now. We trooped back into 5A.

"It's about time I start seeing some color on your faces." Gakupo said from his bed, "I get to be discharged in two days. They want me to finish my course of IV antibiotics first."

"We saw the garden, and they have animals there." I said.

"Speaking of animals, it seems a Meerkat decided my leg would make a good place to sleep." Gakupo said.

I looked. Stretched out on Gakupo's leg, a Meerkat dozed. Rin giggled.

"Ann said we would see them from time to time." I said.

Dr. Hart ran into the room. He looked like he had been running. There was a huge smile on his face.

"You are not going to believe this!" He was carrying a tablet, "I can't find any sign of infection in his body! This is the test from 24 hours ago. It shows major infection. Here is the recent test. It shows zero infection! He's reading normal across the board!"

"Is that even possible?" Xaito asked.

"It's possible, over the course of five days, not 24 hours!" Dr. Hart was excited.

The door opened a second time to reveal Gumi wearing a flight suit and carrying a red cooler. Neru and Ann were right behind her.

"Special delivery, one heart." Gumi quipped, "It is going to Kaito, if he is strong enough to undergo the transplant. Otherwise, I have to fly it to another hospital for it to be given to someone else."

"OR seven is being prepped." Neru added, "I got you scheduled to use it."

"Prep him." Dr. Hart ordered, "And get me two teams ready to go for a live donor transplant. We are doing everything this time. I have to prepare the new heart, so Ann, Neru, get Akaito and Miku ready to go. It is go time."

The room erupted into controlled chaos. Through it all, the Meerkat, called Zaphod by Ann, on Gakupo's leg never woke up. Rin took Sundae, who made it very clear that she was not happy to be removed from Kaito. The room emptied, leaving me, Rin, Mieko, Luka, Xaito, and Gakupo alone.

"I'm nervous now. What if it doesn't take?" Rin asked.

"It will take." I answered, "Kaito will survive. He's going to get better. Once he is better, he will return to the stage."

"He may not, Len." Xaito cut in, "He has been dealing with severe cyanosis for a long time. I know that you have noticed that he has gotten a bit clumsy."

Gakupo nodded, "It has taken him longer than usual to master new dances."

"What are you getting at?" Rin asked.

"I know he will be pretty weak at first, but he'll get stronger, right?" I asked.

"You are a medic. You tell them." Gakupo said. Mieko nodded.

"Twins, Kaito is never going to be able to walk again." Luka broke the news.

"What?" Rin and I asked together.

"I'm trying to think of a way to explain that you'll be able to understand." Xaito said. He sighed, "You both know that Kaito wasn't getting enough oxygen. Well, what oxygen he was getting went to more important places like the brain and heart. This means that the muscles in his legs died because no oxygen was getting to them. It's called muscular atrophy. The degree of muscle death in his legs is too extreme to be overcome. I'm sorry, but his career as a performer is done. I don't know if he'll still be able to sing."

"Can't it be reversed?" I asked.

"Usually, it is a matter of exercising the muscles to strengthen them, but the degree of atrophy Kaito has is just too extreme. The muscles have completely wasted away." Xaito explained.

"That means he is going to be confined to a wheel chair for life. He is not going to like that." Rin said.

"No, he won't, but he'll get used to it. He will be able to regain use of his arms. Don't look sad. He will still be independent. He can still drive. His car will have to be modified for hand control first. He will be able to do everything he loves before he got sick, save for walking and dancing. He just might be able to sing again too." Xaito chuckled, "I am going to handle caring for him, but feel free to help out."

I fell against the wall, sorrow filling my heart. I understood what Xaito was saying, but I did not like it. I did not like the idea of dancing on stage without Kaito there. Sure, I danced with Rin during our songs, and with the others, but without Kaito there, it felt so wrong.

"Len?" Rin worried.

"I'm fine. It's just a shock. I don't know if I even want to perform anymore." I closed my eyes, "I'm fine."

"Come here." Gakupo ordered. I complied, letting myself get hugged. "Everything is going to be fine. You know Kaito. He has defied the odds before, and he may do so again. Have faith in him, Len."

"Don't get your hopes up too high ether." Mieko added, "We are going to get through this together. After we get Kaito home and on the road of recovery, we will decide what to do then. I am thinking about leaving the stage too so I can focus on raising Shinako. Gakupo is going to have to leave the stage soon too in order to rule the Empire, and where he goes, I go."

"You know, we could all use a break from the stage. Len, Luka, and I do need to focus on school. My grades are starting to slip because I barely have time for homework between concerts, meeting fans, and doing performances." Rin said, "I know Kaito's schedule was packed full over the last six weeks."

"We all were very busy." Mieko said, "It is not surprising none of us even realized Kaito was sick."

"He is like a cat in that regard. He hides the fact he is unwell from all of us. You know how much he hates having to depend on someone to care for him." Gakupo added, "Everything is going to be fine."

"I hope so. I miss Kaito." I replied.

Sundae brought me her ball. I tossed it, and the cat raced after it. She caught it and brought it back so I could throw it again for her. She was helping me feel better in her own way. Still, I worried.

 **Queen Sunstar: I may not be able to update again until December. November is national novel writing month and I'm co-writing a novel with Amerella. Coming up next, Kaito begins to recover slowly. He will remain in his coma for a while longer. I know exactly when he will wake up, and I have a tear jerker scene coming up. Don't worry, no one dies. We are close to 2K in views. If we pass 2K, I'm giving you another excerpt from Silent. Silent will be started soon. Reviews are always welcome!**


	21. Worry and a Nightmare

**MIKU**

I felt nervous. This was no small surgery. I took a deep breath. Akaito and I were in separate beds on either side of the OR. Dr. Hart was doing the heart transplant first. It would be an hour before we would be put under for surgery. I took another deep breath. Akaito and I would be able to perform again in four to six weeks. Our remaining lungs would grow larger over time to compensate for our missing lung. We both had agreed quickly to the surgery.

"Nervous?" Neru asked.

"Yes, I am nervous." I admitted, "How is Kaito doing?"

"He is doing well. Everything is within the normal range." Neru replied.

"Everything is going fine." Dr. Hart reassured, "He is doing what he needs to do."

A tone sounded. I looked up worriedly.

"Blood pressure is dropping. He's struggling." Ann reported.

"Gumi, bring me the dish." Dr. Hart was calm. He withdrew his hands from within Kaito's chest to deposit what looked like a limp red blob in the dish, "Hand me the new heart."

"Blood pressure is still falling. 75 over 40." Ann reported.

"Hang in there, Kaito. Get that blood pressure up." Dr. Hart talked while he worked, "Hearts in, everything is attached. Come on, start beating!" I watched as Dr. Hart took what looked like a pair of spoons and insert them into Kaito's open chest, "Clear." There was a whine followed by a click. "Come on…"

"Come on, Kaito! You've got this! Come back to us!" I called out.

"Please, don't go!" Akaito begged.

There was another whine followed by a click. I held my breath, knowing Akaito was doing the same. We both were watching the heart monitor.

"I'm not getting a reading on blood pressure." Ann worried.

"Hand me the Epinephrine, and the Celta." Dr. Hart ordered. Ann complied. Both medications were injected into Kaito's heart. The spoons whined and clicked as they were applied again, "Come on…" Another shock was applied, "This isn't working." Dr. Hart switched tactics, reaching in and manually squeezing Kaito's heart. "Come on… Ann, another Epinephrine." Dr. Hart was getting worried. After ten more minutes of heart massage, three more injections of the Epinephrine and two more shots of Celta, we were rewarded with a steady beeping. "That's it, come back." Dr. Hart turned to Ann, "Blood pressure?"

"105 over 75. He's stable." Ann nodded, "Teto, you are up."

"Switching in. I want the donors put under. Team B, take the woman. Team C, take the man. Team A, you are with me. Let's move it." Teto ordered. They switched effortlessly. "Ready, Akaito, Miku?"

"Ready." I nodded, "This is for Kaito."

"Ready." Akaito added, "Let's do this."

The teams moved toward each of us. A mask was placed over my face. I relaxed, and fell asleep quickly.

I awoke to see a pair of familiar crimson eyes creased with concern. I smiled.

"Hey." I responded.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Akaito smiled back.

I sat up slowly, "How long was I out?"

"I was out ten hours. You were out 16 hours. I've been sitting here worrying for the last four hours." Akaito said, "I kept the others out so you could rest. Kaito is still in surgery. They have to remove a lot of dead tissue. It could cause infection if it's left alone. They won't be done for hours yet. We have to be kept quiet for six weeks to heal."

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm sore, but I'm better now that you are awake." He gave me one of his million watt smiles, "There is one thing I want to do." His voice went deep and throaty.

"Akaito, we just had our ribs broken and a lung removed. We have to wait." I leaned into him.

"I met this." He turned and his mouth found mine. Our tongues got involved. Pleasure rolled through me as I deepened our kiss. I found myself longing to feel Akaito inside me. We broke apart. I could see the same longing in Akaito's eyes.

"It is going to be six very long weeks." I groaned.

"As soon as we are cleared to resume our sex life, I'm taking you away for a weekend." Akaito promised, "I'm taking you to the Shion Estate."

"I can't wait!" I grew excited, "I expect you to leave me too sore to move the next day, and let me be on top a few times."

"I will do my best." Akaito promised.

"Can we come in yet?" Luka called.

"She's awake!" Akaito called.

Luka and the twins entered the room together.

"How are you two feeling?" Len asked.

"We're fine." Akaito answered.

"We are sore, and Len, get your mind out of the gutter. You are too young to be thinking that way." I added.

"I wasn't thinking that way!" Len protested, "What did they do, find a switch labeled Mom mode and flip it?"

"I'm always in mom mode." I smiled.

"I have an update for you. They are sewing him up. Kaito is starting to have some trouble so they decided to stop and give him 24 hours to recover. They don't want to push him too far. Gakupo is asleep and Mieko is staying with him." Luka explained, "Dr. Hart says Kaito will be out in about 30 minutes. He is being put in isolation to prevent infection."

"They don't have enough skin to cover the incisions." Rin added.

"Tomorrow, they'll harvest some skin to help cover the incisions." Len finished.

"They are going to put us in a small ward instead of a regular hospital room. It is bigger, and it will be more private. The ward is right next door to isolation, which after the next surgery; Kaito will be kept in for two to four weeks. It is to protect him from infection, and by doing this, protect us from the paparazzi." Luka explained.

"I went back down to the garden, and I got swarmed." Rin said, "Let's just say one angry Lynx and a growling wolf can be pretty intimidating. Suki is lying outside the door right now. A photographer got by security, and it didn't end well once Suki got sight of him. No injuries, just one very expensive camera destroyed."

Ann walked in, "Kaito is out of surgery, which went very well. I'm here to move you to the ward. You guys get a security detail in the form of Suki." Ann was pushing a wheel chair. Behind her was Neru with another wheel chair. Akaito and I sat in the wheel chairs. We were pushed toward an elevator which took us down to floor two, and after a few minutes, we reached the ward.

The walls were a calming pale blue. Several beds were set up, and one wall was dedicated to a large window. Sundae's cat box, food and water dishes, cat tree, and her ball were in the room too. There were several plants, and a clear plastic tunnel ran the length of one wall. Gakupo was already there, along with Zaphod, who still had not left his spot on Gakupo's leg. Mieko was curled up by him. Sundae was on her cat tree which had been put by the window. She was watching her master, a paw pressed against the window.

"Now that is just sweet. I am very glad I let Kaito keep her." I said.

"They do have a strong bond." Akaito stood carefully and walked to the window, "He is still cyanotic."

I joined him, "He's not so blue anymore."

"His body is getting enough oxygen now. To prevent Reperfusion Injury, they are going to put him into a state of hypothermia. Reperfusion Injury occurs when too much oxygen gets to the muscles at once. He has been cyanotic for a long time. His body is used to the low level of oxygen he was getting. Now that he is getting so much more oxygen, it is actually causing some damage. By inducing hypothermia, we slow everything in the body down which gives time for the body to adjust to the higher amount of oxygen." Ann explained, "You know the heart Gumi brought us? I bet you would like to know where it came from. Your friend, Yoholoid, told the paramedic to harvest everything that can be harvested from his body to help others right before he died. His heart was going to go to someone else, but they died, so Gumi rushed it here. Kaito has Yoholoid's heart now."

"How is Kaito doing now?" Akaito asked.

"He is stable. Tomorrow, my husband and Teto will finish what was started today. After that, Kaito should start to recover. He is still deep in his coma, but there is some good news. His brain activity is rising. Aroha says he is responding well to her pulses. This is a miracle in itself along with the fact the infection being completely gone. Normally, people don't come back from brain death. If he wakes up, no, when he wakes up, there is no telling how bad the damage to his brain will be." Ann explained.

"Meaw?" Sundae pawed the window.

"I know you want to be by Kaito." Akaito petted Sundae, "Kaito can't have visitors right now."

"Mow." Sundae snubbed him.

"Come here. You can see him for a few minutes." Ann smiled. She picked up Sundae and carried her away. Akaito and I returned to our bed. Luka and Rin went to the window.

"He's not so blue anymore." Rin said, "Sundae really does love him. I've never seen a bond between human and animal so strong before."

"He did save her life. Kaito does a lot better when she is beside him." Luka watched as Sundae took her usual spot by Kaito. "Back when Kaito had his latest Meniere's attack, I found Sundae curled up around his head. A cat's purr can take away pain and speed up the healing process. Sundae is the best medicine we can give Kaito right now."

"I wish Kaito would get better. I hate seeing him like this. I miss him." Rin blinked.

"We all do, Rin." Luka answered, "We all do."

 **RIN**

I watched my big brother figure for a bit. Was he aware, or was he so far under that he wasn't aware? Did he even know Sundae was there? I worried.

"We need to be prepared to accept Kaito in whatever shape he is in if he wakes up." Miku broke the silence, "He may not even know us."

"No." Len spoke up, "He will know us, when he wakes up."

I turned, "What if he doesn't?"

Len opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as he realized he didn't have an answer, "He's still our big brother, and big brothers don't forget their younger siblings. He is going to remember us at least."

"He has got to remember Akaito. He's his twin." I responded, "If he can't remember, we'll just have to make new memories."

"I want him to wake up just as much as you do." Miku replied, "But we need to be prepared for the reality of Kaito not waking up. He might remain comatose, never waking up. He might end up as a vegetable. We should be prepared for all possibilities."

"Kaito might wake up and be completely normal." Mieko replied.

"You guys ready for a visitor?" Gumi asked, opening the door, "I brought Sundae back."

"Yeah, let them in." Miku nodded.

Gumi spoke to someone outside. The person entered the room.

"Al!" I gave him a big hug.

Al smiled, "It is good to see you lot. I thought I would drop by and pay a visit. You guys look like you all have been through hell and back."

"We have." Mieko said, "First the kids witnessed Kaito collapse on stage due to cardiac arrest, we found out about it because it was on the news, we survived an F3 tornado, we got here and Kaito was awake and talking to us, he got worse and worse, than there was the earthquake and tsunami in which Gakupo and I got impaled on the same pole, and now we are here."

"Should we?" Akaito turned to Miku, who was in the same bed he was in, curled up next to him. She looked up and smiled.

"Al, while in Seattle Washington, Akaito proposed to me. I'm wearing the ring on a chain right now until my hand heals." Miku smiled, "Mieko has news of her own."

"I knew it!" Al said, going to them, "I knew the two of you were going to announce your engagement soon! So Mieko, what is your news?"

Gakupo had woken up shortly after Al had arrived.

"Gakupo and I are engaged." Mieko said.

"I proposed while we were stuck on the pole. I had a good reason for it. Mieko and I are going to be parents." Gakupo said.

"Congrats, you two!" Al went to them.

"We are having a girl. I do wish she would stop using my bladder as a soccer ball." Mieko replied.

"Where is Kaito at? He's not, is he?" Al grew concerned.

"Over here, Kaito is in isolation to prevent infection from setting in. He just had a double transplant done. He got Yoholoid's heart. Miku and Akaito donated a lung each to him. He'll have more surgery done tomorrow so the doctors can finish removing the dead tissue and cover the incisions with skin grafts." I explained.

"He looks terrible. I know he has always been skinny, but that is just sick. He's a skeleton with skin." Al sounded and looked shocked, "I know he was sick, but I didn't think it was this bad."

"They are not sure if Kaito will wake up. If he does wake up, he may not even know us. It depends on how severe the brain damage is from the times he was in cardiac arrest." Len finished, "It is good of you that you dropped by."

"I was worried about you. I went to Yoholoid's funeral. He was cremated, his ashes scattered down in Emerald Park, the place where he had his first concert. It was beautiful. Len, Jodye's parents haven't had Jodye's funeral yet. It's going to happen next week. They want you to attend."

"I miss her. She was different from the other girls I've known. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty with us guys. She's the only girl I know who loved soccer and Nintendo." Len looked down, "She was my dream girl."

"You loved her, didn't you?" I asked.

"I did. I assumed we would get closer and start dating in high school, and after college, marrying. She was special to me. I didn't care that she was deaf. I was in love with her." Len leaned against the wall, tears beading in the corners of his eyes, "Why did Buddha have to end her life? Jodye never got to know true happiness! She barely got to live!" he put his arm over his eyes, "I'm never going to love again!" he began to cry, "I miss her so much!"

"Oh, Len!" I hugged him, "Don't give up on love! You'll find someone! I promise!"

"Len, Jodye's body is in the Morgue here in the hospital. I can take you if you want." Al said.

"I want to go too." I replied, "I want to see her one last time."

We left for the morgue.

 **ETURNIA**

I sighed sadly as I observed from the Crystal Road. The road was busy today as those who had died during the recent disaster made the trip. I made sure to greet each newly dead person by name with a bright smile. My heart was not in it. What used to give me great joy was only hurting me now. The road cleared after the first wave passed into Elysium. I turned my attention back to Len. His face as I faded and died hurt me a lot.

"Eturnia?"

I turned, "Oh, hello, Ichigo. Yes?"

My strawberry loving pink cat girl Reaper looked up at me, "You loved him."

"I did. I tried not to, but it happened anyway." I responded.

"Hello, Eturnia. If you could go back, would you?" I recognized the voice of Kish, another of my many Reapers. He wore a green safari type outfit and his area was the vast Savanna of Africa.

"I can't, even if I want to. My place is here, serving Buddha as the Guardian of the Crystal Road." I responded.

"Your devotion to duty is admirable, Eturnia." Kish said, "You are not happy. We all can see it."

"That's why we went and talked to Buddha." Ichigo said.

"We can handle watching over the Crystal Road for you. Ichigo is nearly as strong as you are." Kish added.

"What did the two of you do?" I asked.

"They did a very admirable thing, Eturnia."

We turned, and bowed. Walking before us was the Holy Father himself, flanked by his sons. He smiled.

"Rise." Mohammed commanded, "They came to us."

"I can't believe it took a pair of reapers to show us how depressed our Guardian of the Road had become." Jesus replied.

"This is why we have come, Eturnia. We all can see as plain as day that you are not happy. You love him, don't you?" Buddha asked.

"I do love him. My duty is here. I can't leave my post." I replied, "I can't give up my sacred duty."

"You can go to him. We have a replacement already chosen." Jesus smiled, "Ichigo has proven that she is more than ready."

"You will let me return?" I asked.

"Your body is still viable." Mohammed said.

"I'm going to Len." I smiled.

There was a flash of light. My wings vanished as my body returned to its mortal form. Ichigo gasped. She now had my wings and abilities. I walked to the door of life, and took one last look at the Crystal Road. I stepped through.

 **LEN**

We reached the Morgue and went in. The ME had brought Jodye out of cold storage already. I went to her side, tears beading under my eyelids. She looked so peaceful, like she was asleep. It was a sleep that was eternal. Never again would she dance, play Mariokart with me, defend her world record on the Rainbow Road, and never know my feelings for her. I missed her so much it hurt. I gently held her against me.

"I know nothing I say will bring you back to me. I wish I could tell you how I feel." I blinked back tears. "Please, hear this song and know that I love you." I began to sing Saihate, throwing my heart and soul into the song. I sang with every fiber of my being, praying she was hearing the song. I lowered my head as I sang the last few notes. Gently, I kissed her cheek. It was then that I realized something wasn't right. Her cheek was warm; in fact her body was warm. Was that a breath I just felt against my neck? I put my head on her chest. Was I hearing her heart beat? No, I was hallucinating. I wanted her alive so badly my mind was playing tricks on me. There was no mistaking the warmth, the breath, or the heartbeat. I didn't dare to breathe for fear of shattering the illusion.

"Len, you need to let her go." Rin's voice was sad.

"Rin, she's alive." I whispered.

"We've been over this, Len. She is dead!" Rin exasperated, "You want her back so badly you are imagining that she is alive."

"No, Rin. She's warm."

"This is ridiculous!"

"I'm serious!"

"I'm done with this argument!"

"Come and see for yourself!"

"EW, no! I'm not touching a dead body!"

"She's not dead!"

"Twins that is enough!" Al cut in, "Len, Jodye is dead. Get used to it!"

"I'll check her." The ME came over and used his stethoscope. Her eyes went wide. She gasped and backed away, "She's alive!" The ME raced to a phone, "ER, I need a gurney and a medical team, stat! I have a live one!"

It wasn't long before the team arrived and moved Jodye to the gurney. They rushed her to the ER, Rin, Al, and I following. I stayed by her side as she was worked on.

"What is wrong?" I asked fearfully.

"She is hypothermic. We need to warm her up." The doctor answered, "This is not unheard of. This is my third time seeing a dead person come back from the dead. Once she is warm, she is going to surgery. We need to finish what was started. We will put her in the ward with you once we are done." I watched as Jodye began to bleed from her incision. "That is a good sign. She is stabilizing. We need to get her into surgery."

The doctor took Jodye away. We returned to the ward. Miku and Akaito were asleep. Mieko was at the window. I joined her. Kaito was starting to look better. He wasn't so blue anymore. The swelling from the edema was finally going down. He looked like he was in pain. I saw Teto and Gumi in hazmat suits moving around. They really were taking no chances with infection. Gumi injected something into one of the four IVs. Kaito's face relaxed as the pain medication took effect. I knew they were giving Kaito a lot of medication to help him recover. I sighed to myself, wondering again why I had not seen any sign that Kaito was getting sick. I had walked in on him a few times while he was vomiting. He had told me it was just his Meniere's acting up. I thought back to the time we recorded the music video for He's my Son. I was only ten at the time. Had I noticed the Cyanosis? Kaito had not been feeling well at the time. He had been feeling nauseous due to a migraine. Luka had tried to talk him out of performing, but Kaito had said he was fine. We had gone through with the video anyway. Kaito had spent that night vomiting. Miku had proceeded to drag Kaito to the doctor the following morning. He was tested and diagnosed with Meniere's. I sighed again. I did miss Kaito.

"Are you going to tell them?" Rin asked.

"I am." I turned, "Jodye is alive."

"What?" Mieko asked.

"She's alive." I responded.

"But how? She died!" Gakupo sputtered.

"I don't know how, but she's alive." I realized I was trembling, "She's alive."

"Are you okay, Len?" Rin asked.

"I don't know." I replied, "I'm not happy."

"Oh, Len!" Luka hugged me, "You should be overjoyed!"

"I'm not."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"He's in shock." Al said, "I would be too if my girlfriend died, then suddenly came back to life."

"Len?" Rin worried.

"I'm okay. I have a lot to work through. I'm scared for Kaito. I need to have a talk with Jodye. I don't know what to feel right now! It's so confusing!" I pulled away from Luka and left the ward for the garden. Once inside, I found the waterfall and collapsed before it. The sound of the water falling was peaceful. I felt myself crying. Great sobs wracked my body. I didn't hold back. This mess had started because I stood up to Mrs. Shia. It was my fault. If I had not invited Jodye over, she would not have shown off her dancing skills. The concert would not have happened, and Kaito would not be sick. I continued to cry, my guilt pouring out of me.

Someone put their head on my shoulder. I heard a soft meow as a warm furry body settled down next to mine. I looked up to see Neko. I put my arms around the lynx and my tears continued unabated. I heard myself begin to talk, everything pouring out of me. After a while, I calmed down. I felt so much better. It had felt so good to cry. I felt much lighter now. Neko purred and rubbed her face against my shoulder.

"I know what I need to do now." I got up and left, returning to the ward. Jodye had been brought in, but had not awakened yet. Mieko and Rin were sitting by her. I went to them.

"They want her to sleep through the night. She is doing well. She should recover without further complications." Rin was smiling. "Len, she is back with us!"

"I'm not sure I want her back."

"Len?" Mieko asked.

"I'm going to have to experience the pain of losing her again."

"Oh Len, is that the problem? She is not dying. You won't lose her again. I bet she came back because she loves you." Mieko hugged me, "You won't have to worry about that for a long time."

"It is weird. I am happy that she is back, but at the same time, I don't want her back. I don't want to go through what I went through again." I decided to go watch Kaito.

"We need to call Jodye's parents." Rin pulled out her cellphone, "Len, do you know the number?"

"I'll call." I took the phone and dialed the number. It rang twice before I heard a woman's voice answering. "Mrs. Kingfisher, its Len Kagamine, Jodye's friend." I caught and stopped myself from saying boyfriend.

"It is nice of you to call, Len. I'm glad Jodye got to be your friend." Mrs. Kingfisher sounded like she had been crying, "We just landed in the city airport, and will be there in 30 minutes."

"You can cancel the funeral. She is alive." I replied. I nearly went deaf as she screamed. "She is asleep. They had to warm her up and finish the surgery. She is with us in the ward." I began to smile, "I can barely believe it! She's alive! It is a miracle!" We hung up and I gave the phone back to Rin and went to Jodye's side. I held her hand. Her eyes started to flutter. "Uh, uh, no waking up yet. You need to rest. I'm staying right here beside you." The fluttering stopped, "That's better."

 **GAKUPO**

Watching Len interact with Jodye was very cute, and sweet. Mieko joined me.

"The doctor said you are supposed to be getting up and walking. I have not yet seen you get up yet." She smiled.

"I would be up, but someone decided to nap on my leg." I returned the smile as Zaphod raised his head and yawned. The Meerkat stretched and rose to his hind legs, sniffing the air. He shot into the air and vanished up into one of the clear plastic tubes running the perimeter of the room, "Now I can move." I swung my legs over and carefully stood. Walking hurt, but I did it anyway, walking over to the window and looking down at Kaito. He did look better. He was less blue, and the swelling was gone at last. The blanket was pulled up to his waist, leaving his upper body exposed. IED leads, IVs, and tubes covered his chest. I saw a long white bandage marked with blood running down his chest.

"He is so skinny." Mieko whispered.

"Skinny is an understatement." I whispered back.

It was true. Even Famine looked far better than Kaito did. His eyes were hollow, and both cheek bones were well defined. Every bone in his body stood out starkly under his translucent white skin now that the swelling was gone. As Ann and Neru carefully turned Kaito to his side to prevent bed sores, I watched as a bit of Kaito's limp blue hair floated free from his head. Neru picked up a brush and ran it over Kaito's hair, the brush collecting more of his hair. Even I knew that the fact that Kaito was losing his hair was not a good sign.

"Do you know the latest yet?" Mieko asked.

"Last I heard was that they were doing the double transplant. How did that go?" I asked.

"It went well. Miku and Akaito did very well and will need to be kept quiet for a few weeks to heal. Kaito did well too. He did start to struggle so they decided to halt the surgery and finish tomorrow so he could rest. He has a lot of dead tissue inside of him." Mieko explained, "They don't know if Kaito will recover, or even wake up."

"He is going to wake up. He is a fighter. He's proved that to all of us already." I turned to her, "I believe he will recover."

"I'm beginning to wonder if Kaito will wake up. We all know who to blame for this." Mieko gave a bitter laugh as she turned, "I know, go ahead and say it! It's my fault! I'm the one who is mothering everyone all the time and I never realized Kaito was sick until it was too late!"

"Mieko! You stop it! This is not your fault!" I tried.

"If anyone is to blame, it is me!" Len snapped from his spot beside the sleeping Jodye. "I'm the one who got in trouble! I'm the one who added more stress onto his shoulders! I'm the one who made him get sick!"

Rin's head snapped around, "Len is right! It's his fault!"

"Guys, please. There is no need to fight." Luka cut in, "It is nobody's fault. No one, not even Kaito, could have predicted this."

"Len, Mieko that is enough!" I snapped, "We all are beyond exhausted, and no one is to blame for what has happened! What happened is in the past, and no one can change it!"

"I blame Len." Rin hissed, "If he had not lost his temper, we would not be here!"

"Really?" Luka turned on her, "That does not change the fact he was already sick!"

Somehow, Akaito and Miku remained asleep. They both had been given some strong pain killers, so it wasn't alarming.

"He wouldn't be so sick!" Rin shot back.

"How do you know for sure?" Luka asked, her voice dripping with acid.

"He," Rin sputtered, trying to come up with a response, "We might have noticed something!" She finished lamely.

"You know as well as I do that Kaito would have told us not to worry! You know how stubborn he is!" Luka took a shuddering breath.

"I think the stress of Len being in trouble again was a blessing in disguise." I cut in. Mieko, Luka, Rin, and Len stared at me. "Think about it. He might have gone into cardiac arrest during the night. You three would have found his body in the morning." The kids looked at one another.

"That would have been just horrible." Len replied, eyes wide.

"Having to tell Akaito his brother had died during the night would have broken me." Luka whispered.

"You wouldn't have to tell him. He would have sensed it and called us. I know I would know the second Len dies." Rin blinked back tears, "I know Akaito would have been the first to know Kaito was gone."

"Akaito said that he started feeling like something was wrong with Kaito at midnight, Pacific Standard Time, which would make it 7 PM here, which was when Kaito collapsed." I said, "Rin is right. Akaito would have known right away that his brother was gone."

"Stupid pregnancy hormones." Mieko muttered, "My emotions are all over the place. I cried in the bathroom earlier because I realized I couldn't have any Sake for another five months."

"We all need to sleep. Things will look much better in the morning. Who knows, maybe Kaito will be awake." I smiled as I walked painfully back to my bed. Everybody settled down to sleep. Xaito had left a while ago as he was needed by his unit to assist in the ongoing rescue effort. I was the last one to fall asleep.

 **RIN**

I settled in next to Jodye. The room was warm, so I didn't need a blanket. I was exhausted from the day we had, and from the fact Luka, Len, and I had been up well over 24 hours. I was out pretty quickly.

 _The concert was over at last. We all were tired, and it was well after midnight._

 _"Jodye, why don't you stay the night? Can she, Kaito?" Len asked._

 _"It's fine with me as long as it is fine with her parents." Kaito said, "I know you have a drawer of your own in the twin's bedroom. Do you need anything from home?"_

 _Jodye had stayed overnight so many times that Len and I had decided to give her a drawer of her own. We also had a folding bed in the room for her use as well._

 _Jodye drew out her cell phone and called her parents. After a few minutes, she turned it off. "I can stay!" she held up her note pad._

 _"I expect teeth brushed, PJs on, and the four of you in bed within 30 minutes of us getting home." Kaito ordered, "No complaints, as I'm doing the same thing." He was smiling._

 _We all acknowledged him. We got home quickly. Just as Kaito had ordered, we all were in bed in less than 30 minutes. We all fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the concert._

 _It was Luka's scream that woke us. Even Jodye was woken by the scream. Instantly, a horrible feeling gripped my heart. That was no normal scream. The three of us bolted out of our room and found Luka in Kaito's room, frantically trying to rouse the bluenette without success. Right away, I knew something was wrong, horribly wrong. Luka was choking on sobs as she shook Kaito, but I knew Kaito would never respond again._

 _"Luka, stop. He's gone." Len's voice hitched._

 _Luka stopped, only to let loose with the same scream from earlier. While Len dealt with Luka, Jodye moved to the bedside and placed two fingers on Kaito's neck. She stepped back and shook her head sadly before moving toward the phone. She picked it up and swallowed as she dialed 911. I joined her, wondering how she was being so calm about this. I remembered that she had dealt with this before, when her brother had committed suicide. Before long, paramedics came to take Kaito's body away. Luka was taken away too after being sedated._

 _"We are going to have to tell the others in the USA." Len whispered._

 _"They probably already know." I answered, "Akaito probably felt Kaito leave."_

 _The phone rang. I answered it to find Gakupo calling. I told him what had happened as two detectives entered the mansion. He told me that Akaito had suddenly started screaming that Kaito was gone, and had to be sedated. He was in Harborview Medical Center, and Miku was with him. Mieko was flying home to us. I hung up after a minute._

 _"The detectives want to speak with us." Len called me over. Jodye had made coffee and hot chocolate. I accepted a cup of hot chocolate gratefully. We sat in the living room._

 _"My name is Yoshiro Hamato, and this is my partner, Suki Takuya. We have some questions for you, standard procedure. You can call me Yoshi." Yoshi smiled at us. Jodye was the only one who managed to smile back, but I could see that it took her great effort. "What is the relationship of…" he consulted his notes, "Megurine Luka, to Shion Kaito?"_

 _"Big brother and it is the same for all of us. We are not related, except me and Rin. We are twins." Len answered. Jodye nodded, and held up her note pad._

 _"I've come to see him as a brother too." It read._

 _"Mercy has pronounced Shion Kaito dead. His body is headed toward their morgue where he'll be autopsied. The ER doctor who examined him found dried crust around his mouth and according to the lividity report; Kaito has been dead for five hours. The doctor suspects heart attack." Suki signed as she spoke, "Has Kaito had any health problems? I found these in his bedside drawer." She held up an evidence bag with several pill bottles, "He may have overdosed."_

 _"He has Meniere's, and he takes Metformin for that. He takes Celta to keep his blood pressure up to prevent fainting spells. He has a severe allergy to Latex." I recited._

 _"The third bottle is painkillers for his migraines." Len supplied._

 _"Is it possible that he overdosed?" Yoshi asked._

 _"No way, not Kaito." I responded, "He is very responsible about his medication."_

 _"He did overdose once on his Celta." Jodye signed, "This was our fault. He was experiencing repeated fainting spells. His blood pressure shot up, and it took a night of being infused with charcoal to counter the Celta in his body. He would never intentionally overdose."_

 _"There was the incident with cold medicine." I said._

 _"That wasn't an overdose, but it sure left him loopy. Mieko chewed him out for it because he took a little too much." Len answered, "He took three pills instead of two by accident."_

 _"Are you sure it was an accident?" Suki asked._

 _"He had a sinus infection, and was really dizzy. He couldn't see straight. He kept calling me Len and Len Rin." I said, "He also called Gakupo Miku, and wanted to know why she dyed her hair purple. Mieko put him to bed after that."_

 _"Yeah, that was definitely an accident." Yoshi said, "This is neither a homicide nor suicide. Are the pills at the right numbers? We did find a few pills on his bed." Suki said._

 _"Let's see, he refilled his medications two weeks ago and he gets 28 days' worth of medication at a time. He takes Metformin twice a day, so there should be 28 pills left, and Celta is taken once a day, so there should be 14 pills left, and his painkiller is taken three times a day, so there should be 52 pills left." Len answered._

 _Suki counted the pills, "The Metformin and the Celta pan out, but there are only 12 pills left for the painkiller. Why does he take a painkiller three times a day? This could be suicide after all."_

 _"The painkiller is for pain. He suffers daily from pain in his right leg. He was impaled in an accident a while ago, and was left paralyzed. He came back from that, but his right leg never fully healed." I answered. Had Kaito committed suicide? He had said that some days the pain was nearly unbearable. Kaito often sang about suicide. He had once told me that self-murder was a sin. He would never do that to us, right? Was the pain so bad that he decided to end it so he wouldn't suffer any more?_

 _"There were days the pain was so bad that he couldn't move his leg without vocalizing his pain." Jodye signed, "I have seen him take two pills on occasion."_

 _"The toxicology report will reveal more about this. We both are very sorry for your loss." Yoshi said._

 _Two days later, we got answers. Kaito had not committed suicide. His heart had simply stopped. His death was ruled as natural causes._

I bolted awake with a gasp. A horrible feeling gripped my heart. Unable to sleep, I got up and walked to the isolation room window. Looking in, the room was a hive of activity. Something had gone wrong, horribly wrong. Gumi was doing chest compressions while Teto squeezed an oxygen pump. The monitor nearby showed no activity. Tears welled up in my eyes. I noticed something else. Both the cardiac nurse and the respiratory therapist were covered with blood. Blood pooled under the bed, covered Kaito, and had splattered everywhere. I gasped as I saw his chest. The incision had opened and blood wasn't just pouring from it. It was spraying like a fountain with each compression. Numerous bags of blood hung from the IV poles. Dr. Hart ran into the room. He shouted orders left and right as more medical staff flooded the room. Dr. Hart quickly plunged his hands into the open wound on Kaito's chest. The blood stopped spraying with each compression, but it still poured freely. Dr. Hart looked ashen. This so was not good.

Fear flooded my body. Was I watching Kaito's last gasps of life? The tears finally came. I was praying without realizing it, pleading with God to save Kaito. Body wracking sobs shook my body. I heard a moan, and realized it was coming from Sundae. She lifted her head and moaned again and again. In the room, Kaito was rushed away.

 **Queen Sunstar: Uh oh. I've seen a chest incision burst open before, and it is really bloody. I was serving in a hospital as a candy stripper and I ended up with my hand inside the patient's chest, plugging a hole that had opened in the Aorta, which is the big artery that sends blood to the lungs. It was not pretty. Thankfully, the patient survived after the hole was repaired during emergency surgery. The spraying with each compression means arterial spray. Arterial spray is beyond bad. Up next, I'm giving Dr. Hart a POV, and I may do a second POV for Sundae, but that is in the air. The next update won't be until January. I have to focus on the novel and get a copy ready for my sister's Christmas present. The story is actually an idea of hers that she wrote years ago.**

 **Up next, it does not look good for Kaito, and Akaito is waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak. Next chapter may also be the last one, but I'm not sure. Expect a heartfelt scene, and a possible Christmas miracle. Rin's nightmare is a path I actually considered. There will be an epilogue too. After that, scenes that did not make the cut!**


	22. Homeward Bound

**DR. HART**

I ran alongside the bed, my hands still inside my patient's chest. We were leaving a trail of blood behind us as we ran. Gumi and Teto had acted perfectly, trying to replace the blood being lost at the same time they worked to keep Kaito alive.

Kaito was as sick as he could be without being dead. I wasn't entirely sure of what I was dealing with yet, but the presentation was classic for rupturing aorta. I had just performed a heart transplant on him not that long ago, and I knew I would not have missed a problem with the aorta.

We finally reached an open OR. Quickly, I used my hands to explore the aorta, my eyes closed. The large artery felt rubbery. I could feel blood seeping around my fingers. I opened my eyes as Dr. Greene, fully suited up, rushed in.

"Ruptured aorta." I kept my hands in place.

"I can't see anything in here." Dr. Greene began scooping out blood, "Gumi, get the blood bank. I need O negative blood, and lots of it."

"You got it!" Gumi rushed to the phone.

"I'm closing the hole now. Get ready, than go get yourself suited up." Greene began to count down, "Move!"

I moved. Greene carefully pulled the hole closed. I dashed out and dashed back in, fully suited up. Greene and I both went to work, Teto joining us.

"Did you by perchance nick the aorta when you were doing the transplant earlier?" Teto asked.

"I…" I trailed off, "I might have without realizing it."

"It is okay. We got to it in time. It's just a matter of replacing the blood lost." Greene replied, "I've already taken care of it. Hand me the suction. I'm removing the excess blood from his chest."

"I'm okay. Accidents happen. Let's see, we still need to remove the necrotized tissue from his body. We don't have much more to remove, and I'm amazed infection hasn't set in." I answered, "Where is the blood?"

"I have to ask. How is this guy still alive?" Greene asked moments later, "He is as sick as you can be without being dead."

"Greene, how did he present to you?" Teto asked.

"I was home with my wife and son, Gumi and Oliver, when I got the call from Mercy that a possible heart attack was being brought in. My first thought was old man mistaking chest pain for heartburn as heart attack. I have been getting a rash of those types of patients like those types. I went to Mercy, and the paramedics wheeled Kaito in. He did look bad and I could tell that he was in pain. I was startled over how young he was. 22 year olds don't suffer heart attacks. He crashed on me and I rushed him to Seaside after getting him back. ES is so rare. 90 percent of the time, it is found during autopsy. Still, I'm amazed that he is still alive after what he has been through." Greene explained, "Gumi, where is that blood?"

"Blood bank is scrambling, and will bring it shortly. I told them who it was for, and the woman I was talking to dropped the phone and started screaming orders before hanging up." Gumi was holding a dish. I extracted a bit of blackened tissue. Infection should have set in, so why hadn't it?

"It is strange that there is no trace of infection." I said.

"You did prescribe some heavy duty antibiotics for him." Greene said.

"Yes, but that alone wouldn't explain what we are seeing." I pointed out.

"He has pulled off some miracles for us already." Gumi said, "I bet the prayers of his loved ones are helping. When he was first brought here, his vitals were so low that the ER doctor thought he was dying. They tried to stabilize him, but he didn't respond to the medications. I was holding Sundae. Akaito asked me to put Sundae by Kaito, and five minutes later, his vitals rose to near normal. I bet the visits from Sundae have been helping too. He always seems to do better when she is right beside him."

"I've noticed that." Greene said, "What is the status of that blood?"

"Greene, you are supposed to be helping me here. I've noticed that too. My patients have done well with their beloved pet by their side." I worked another piece of dead tissue free and put it into the dish, "We are close. How is he holding up?"

"Vitals are stable and blood pressure is normal." Gumi reported, "He is tolerating the surgery. Blood Bank is working on it."

"I've got a big piece coming." Greene replied, "After this, we will clean up and move on to the graft." He removed the blackened tissue, "All of this tissue died because there wasn't any oxygen."

"This is an extreme case. I wonder why no one noticed anything sooner." I replied, "That's the last of it. He had to have noticed something."

"Kaito did notice something. He told me that he noticed that he was getting tired more easily and was getting short of breath more often. He said he never had any palpations." Gumi said.

I harvested some skin from the side of Kaito's right leg while Greene handled preparing the opening to be covered. I laid out the skin and we finished up our work. We knew our next task ahead was not going to be easy. Kaito had to be watched very closely for the next 24 hours in order to make sure the aorta stabilized. We would stay inside the OR to do this. Gumi went to the door after a knock sounded and held up her iPad for Ann to read. Ann gave a thumb up to show that she had read what was written on the iPad, and slid in the bags of blood I had requested. She left. After hanging the blood, I settled in beside the bed. For the next 24 hours, no food, water, or bathroom breaks. We could not open the door to leave because of how critical Kaito was. The last thing he needed was an infection. I drew my legs up to my chest. I have done the watch as we call it before.

My mind wandered down the morbid path. Losing patients always hurt. Losing Kaito would hurt me far worse because I had seen him fight so hard to keep living, and I had gotten to know his family. I could clearly see that they loved him. My mind got more morbid. If Kaito were to die, I knew the entire world would grieve the loss. Kaito was more than just a performer. He was a megastar, beloved by billions and his songs often spent months as no.1 on the charts. When I had first taken the case, I had listened to some of his music. His voice was amazing. When Neru found out, she had not stopped talking my ear off about Kaito. I had her tell me about Kaito so that I could better care for him. When I had first seen him, I had known what was wrong. The TEE had confirmed it for me. Kaito had the worst case of ES I had ever seen. I shook the thoughts away. I needed to be focused on Kaito and do everything I could to help him recover. I wondered what shape he would be in when he woke up. I never said if on any of my patients. I believe in all of my patients, even the ones I've lost. A machine trilled a warning and I sprang up.

"His vitals are dropping!" Gumi called out.

"Give me that Celta! His blood pressure is dropping!" I called out, grabbing the medication from Gumi and injecting it into one of the IVs, "Come on, Kaito. Get that blood pressure up."

"It's still dropping! He's in V-fib!" Teto stayed back so I could work. Gumi ran over with several syringes of Celta.

"This is all I could find!" She handed me a syringe, and I administered it quickly.

"No pulse!" Greene called out, grabbing the shock pad, "BP is nonexistent!"

"Ready? Clear! Find me some Epidrine!"

"There isn't any!"

"Find me something!"

"Would Adrenaline work?"

"Yes!"

"There are only two doses!"

"Bring all the medication here!"

"Here!"

"Clear!"

"Nothing!"

Come on, Kaito! Clear!"

"Still nothing!"

I administered the last of the Celta, "Please work!"

"Clear!"

"Still nothing!"

"We have to call it."

"No, not yet. We still have a shock left."

"Fine, give him the Adrenaline and let's hope it works."

Greene gave both doses of Adrenaline. We waited a moment. "Now, Clear!"

"Dang it! Nothing!"

"We have to call it. Hospital policy states that only five shocks are allowed. He's done, Hart."

"I know."

"Screw policy! Keep trying!" Gumi screamed.

"No."

"But doctor!"

"Gumi, you know the policy. We've lost him."

"Please, try, one more time!"

"He is gone, Gumi."

"Fine! If you won't do it, I'll do it myself!"

"Guys."

"Shut up, Greene! Gumi, if you do it, we will go to jail!"

"I don't care!"

"Well I do!"

"Guys."

"For Buddha's sake, Greene! Stay out of this!"

"All I'm asking for is one more try!"

"GUYS!"

Gumi and I both whirled around to face Greene, "What?"

"He's back." Greene said.

"What?" Again, Gumi and I whirled to face the monitors.

"What a fighter!" Gumi smiled, "His pulse is thready, but it is there."

"BP is still low though." Greene said.

"We need to keep a close eye on that."

We all settled in to watch over Kaito.

 **AKAITO**

 _I found myself standing under a gorgeous night sky. White mist spread out around me. I was wearing my black tank top, tight blue jeans, and black boots lined in red. I looked around, wondering where I was. A silhouette formed. Kaito walked toward me. He was in the same outfit I was in except his boots were lined in blue. As he drew closer, I was hit with the smell of blood. He came to a stop in front of me. I gasped. He looked terrible. Every bone showed through his skin and clothes. Blood dripped from where it had soaked through his tank top. His eyes were dull and listless. He seemed to sag into himself._

 _"My brother!" I reached out as he collapsed into my arms. I held him as we both hit the ground. "What is wrong?"_

 _"My time in the sun is done." Kaito's voice had a strange echo to it. "Can you survive without me?"_

 _"It will be hard, but don't worry. I'll get through it." Tears beaded at the corners of my eyes, "I love you, big brother."_

 _"My little brother. I wish I could have been the brother you deserved." Kaito's eyes grew watery._

 _"You are the best brother I could ask for, Kaito. I never cared that you were sick a lot. So we couldn't explore outside or play much. I loved reading with you. You would have me read out loud to you and I would always do it. You liked sitting on the porch swing. Remember the porch swing? I would gently push us a little and you would always fall asleep against me. I would never move, only keep pushing us. You are my other half, Kaito!" I choked back a sob._

 _"I'm so tired. I have no strength left to fight." Kaito blinked, tears running down his face, "I don't want to die, Akaito!"_

 _"Then don't. Live for us. No matter what shape you are in, we will accept you, even if you don't know us. We will do what we can to keep you comfortable." I was crying now too, "I don't want to say good bye!"_

 _"I don't want to be an invalid and totally dependent upon your care. I can't subject you to that." Kaito raised a hand to my face, "Promise me you will have me euthanized if it comes to that, Akaito."_

 _"I…" I took a deep breath. After the accident in which he was impaled, he had hated having to rely on us to care for him. I couldn't subject him to that again. He wouldn't like that, and it wasn't fair that we keep him alive. "I promise."_

 _"Thank you." Kaito managed a smile. I tried to smile back, but couldn't._

 _"We love you. You are the first person Len has bonded to. He is scared, Kaito. He has been listening to the music box you made him for his tenth birthday. Losing you would just crush him. I don't think he will let himself get close to anyone again. Rin has bonded with you too. You are their big brother, and big brothers don't leave their younger siblings. You could have left me, but you didn't, making sure we stayed together. Please, don't give up." I clung to my brother._

 _"I won't give in." Kaito's eyes closed and opened, "I won't give up."_

 _Everything faded to darkness._

 _"Akaito, I'm scared. Please wake up!"_

 _Miku? Why is she scared? I'm only asleep, right? Oh god, I've got ES too. Wait, I don't have the gene for it, so, what is going on?_

 _"It has been three days now. Kaito is hanging in there, but you need to wake up."_

 _Luka? Oh crap. I'm in a coma. Let's calm down. You got this. Let's wake up._

 _"I can't believe the hospital screwed up! It is in his medical records that he is allergic to that compound!"_

 _"Calm down, Miku. Unlike Kaito, who is dependent on life support to help his body heal enough to function on its own, Akaito is just sleeping."_

 _"They screwed up! He nearly died!"_

 _"Miku, deep breaths. He is fine now. Dr. Hart said Akaito is in what they call the sleeping coma. His body is merely resting and recovering."_

 _"You didn't see it, Gakupo!" Miku was crying, "He looked so scared! I couldn't wake him!"_

 _Self, wake up!_

 _"Akaito!" Len was crying. I felt him climb into bed and cling to me. I tried to move, but my body refused to respond. "Don't go!" Len hiccupped,!_

 _Don't go? I'm dying. Well this is just dandy._

 _"Stay with me, Akaito!" Miku begged._

 _I'm staying put. I felt Miku brushing my bangs off my forehead._

 _"Kaito isn't doing well. Losing you will seal his fate, so please, don't go where I can't follow!" Miku spoke, "I love you, and with you gone, there is no way I can continue on! Stay for Kaito!"_

 _Cold fear gripped me. Instinctively, I reached out mentally and found the link I shared with Kaito. It was still there. I knew something was wrong. A horrible feeling settled like a pit in my stomach._

My eyes flew open, startling Len. I held him as he cried, glad that he was willing to come to me. Miku jumped back in surprise. She was trembling, horror written on her face. She stifled a sob. The others filled the room. I only waited. Mieko finally broke the silence.

"Akaito, you aren't dead. The hospital screwed up and gave you medicine with the compound you are allergic to." She started, pausing to wipe away tears, "Kaito is still with us. His blood pressure shot way up. They couldn't get it down and he suffered a stroke. They didn't get in fast enough to remove the clot and the vein ruptured, causing part of his brain to die from lack of oxygen. They don't think he will wake up!" Mieko looked away.

"We are going to be flown home. You will be admitted into Mercy for observation. I talked to Dr. Hart, and we are bringing Kaito home to the Vocaloid Mansion. A team of paramedics is already setting up what we will need in his room. We all are being trained to care for him. I thought he would like to be home." Miku explained.

"There is more." I replied.

"He suffered an aortic tear and nearly bled to death. Dr. Hart kept him in the OR for 36 hours under medical watch. He is doing better now. Dr. Hart thinks the crisis has passed." Rin finished.

"I have been discharged at last, and I'm healing." Gakupo had an arm around Mieko. I noticed that she was showing her pregnancy. Secretly, I hoped that someday it would be me and Miku awaiting the birth of our child. I looked forward to fatherhood. Since I didn't carry the gene for ES, I didn't have to worry about passing it to my children.

"How is everybody in here?" Oliver entered the room, "Oh, I thought I was taking you to the morgue."

"Sorry to disappoint you. Where is Jodye anyway?"

"She was discharged and her parents took her home. They had a long talk about what has been going on. Her dad is going to teach history at our school. Her mom is going to be the new librarian. Jodye told them Japan is home to her, and she refused to leave. Right now, they are staying inside the Palace." Len explained.

Jodye walked in at that moment. She ran to both me and Miku and hugged us.

"I thought I was going to be too late." She said. We stared at her. She held up an iPad, "It was a gift from Emperor Gakupi. He had it designed specifically for me. Since we all know I can't talk very well, it does the talking for me. I have other news. Dr. Hart talked to a friend of his who is an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. The doctor examined my ears and she believes she can restore normal function to my ears! I'll get to hear normally! No more hearing aids! I'll get to hear your voices! I'll get to hear music!" She was excited, "It is a simple procedure and I'll need to be kept quiet for a few days. I go in Monday at Mercy and come home the same day. I'm going to hear! I'm going to be normal!"

"Guys, what is going on?" I asked.

"You were dying." Oliver deadpanned, "Your vitals started dropping and you were showing signs that death was coming."

"Am I in danger?"

"Not anymore." Oliver checked me over, "You are stable. I am going to return to Mercy with you."

Xaito ran in, "Akaito! Am I… Akaito!" The soldier rushed to my side, "I thought I was too late! You are okay! I'm not going with you guys. I'll fly out later. I am needed here in the Capital. I trust you all to take care of Kaito."

"You can count on all of us." Miku said.

"Me too. I'll do what I can to help." Jodye said.

The door flew open as a woman with long very pale purple hair and purple eyes stormed into the room. We all gulped. Even Jodye tensed. This was Mistress, also known as Gakuko 'Gaka' Kaumi. She was visibly shaking, and we all could see the blood vessel very clearly on her neck.

"We're so dead." Len turned white.

"So, when was I going to be called?" Her voice was deadly calm.

"Calm down, Gaka." Gakupo tried, knowing very well what was about to happen. He was thankful they were in a hospital as it meant that Gaka couldn't go after them with her Sais. Gaka was an aunt to Gakupo, and she was in her early fifties. She didn't look like she was 53. Wearing a black and purple crop top with black jeans, white tennis shoes, and a purple scrunchie keeping her hair in its usual messy ponytail, she looked like she was in her twenties. In younger days, Gaka had been a big star. She still sang from time to time, teaching her craft to the Vocaloids. She was a tough task master and was very hard to please. Jodye had met her while practicing the dance for Bad Apple with Kaito. That felt like years ago. We all eyed one another.

"Gakupo, she's your aunt. Why didn't you call her?" Rin asked.

"Why didn't any of you call her?" Gakupo shot back.

"Somebody better start talking or else." Gaka hissed.

A few of us gulped audibly.

"Oh come on, she won't kill us." Mieko came forward, "We've been through hell and back. In case you haven't realized, we just had an earthquake and communications are spotty at best. I'm sorry these buffoons never tried to call, but I have been trying to reach you. We've got a boat load of news for you. First, Akaito suffered an allergic reaction that just about took his life. Second, he and Miku are engaged. Third, Gakupo and I are engaged. Fourth, we are going to be parents in five months. Fifth, Kaito is not doing well. We are bringing him home to the mansion. Sixth, we all have been learning how to care for him. Seventh, He recently underwent a colostomy, and his kidneys have shut down so he is on dialysis. Eighth, there is no eighth!"

Gaka stepped back with a blink, "It would be far better for all of us to have him put out."

"WHAT?" We all screamed.

"He's my twin brother!" I cried out, "Do you have no heart?"

"I know what is best for us all. I can't have a Vocaloid unable to pull his own weight, and did anyone consider how expensive home care is? We don't have the funds for it." Gaka sighed, "I love him too, but I know he would rather be put out over having to live this way. Let him go."

"Have a heart, Mistress!" Len ran to her, "Can't you give him a chance?"

"Where is the money going to come from, kid?"

Len couldn't come up with a response.

Jodye growled, "You back off right now. You say you love Kaito, but why are you so quick to write him off?"

Gaka sighed, "I run a business, and money is very tight because no one is able to perform. Thanks to the earthquake and tsunami, franchise sales are nonexistent. I can't afford to have a member not do their part, okay?"

"I understand. I can still perform, and everyone can still sing. How about we do a concert to raise the money needed?"

"Hmm, but I need them to be able to dance too."

"I will do the dancing and they will provide the vocals."

"Do you even know the dances?"

"Yes, I do, almost all of them, even the one for Ashes to Ashes."

"You do?" Len asked, "That dance and song is very difficult!"

"It is not that hard. Kaito taught me the dance." Jodye said.

"I have tried to master that dance! I usually end up getting tangled up!" Len replied.

"I'll think about it." Gaka decided, "I know how hard it is, but letting Kaito go is the kindest thing we can do for him. I promise he won't feel a thing."

"You have not seen what we have seen! I had life support shut off and Kaito proved to us all that he didn't want to die! He held on for an hour until I had them turn it all back on! I know my twin far better than you do, all of you! He is a fighter, and I believe he will come out of his coma!" I snapped, "I happen to come from a wealthy family, whom I know will help cover the cost! I am not putting my brother out!"

"Fine. I will give him until the New Year to show improvement. If he doesn't improve, he will be put out." Gaka turned to leave, "I'm going to see what I can do to get money flowing again." She left.

"I closed my eyes and sighed, thankful I was the only one who could make that kind of decision.

 **MIKU**

Gaka could be so cruel sometimes! I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration but I remembered in time that my favorite stomping foot was broken.

"I'm going to go see Kaito for a bit, alone." I left the room and headed to Kaito's room. I drew up a chair and sat down, taking his hand into my own. I watched him for a bit.

"I miss you." I looked away, "I should have pressed for answers. You confided in me that you felt something was wrong with you, even showing me the blueness around your fingers. I feel so guilty." Tears began to drip down my cheeks, "We should have found answers!" I sniffled.

Closing my eyes, I recalled the first time we had met.

 _It was summer. I had one year left of high school to survive. My grades were despicable, but who could blame me trying to support myself with three jobs? Minimum wages didn't do squat in this town. I was lucky if I could pay a bill after paying rent. Now, I could focus on making enough money to see me through my final year of high school._

 _I was in the locker room of the Musical Note, getting my uniform on. The Musical Note was one of the hottest night clubs around. The uniform was a short sleeveless black cocktail dress, and black heels. I hated the uniform. It was far too short for my tastes. I was thankful I could at least wear tan nylons with it. Dressed, I wound up my long teal hair into a long braid and piled it on top of my head. I stepped out of the room, pausing to tie on my short glittery white apron and grabbed my notebook. I entered the club floor; a fake smile plastered to my face, and ignored the usual round of catcalls from the men already too drunk to think straight. I made my rounds, taking drink orders and delivering them to the bar. I was carrying a tray full of beers to a table when the stage lights dimmed and a single spotlight turned on. A man with blue hair in a white suit sat before a harp. His eyes were closed. Without a word, he reached out and tilted the harp toward himself. His long fingers found the strings. Beautiful music flowed freely. I noticed that the music seemed sad. The pace picked up. I felt myself getting lost in the melody._

 _"Hatsune!"_

 _It was pure skill that kept me from dropping the tray._

 _"Yes, boss?" I asked._

 _"Will you please deliver those beers already? We are backed up as it is!" My boss scowled at me._

 _"Right away, sir!" I quickly got back to work._

 _The music made me want to sing. The old farewell song, Saihate, would work perfectly with the tune. The man with the blue hair left the stage. Other performers came out to ply their craft. I wished I could be up there on stage singing. The blue haired man came back out, this time standing before the mic. His eyes were open, the blue orbs bright with joy._

 _"My name is Shion Kaito, and I have a real treat for you tonight! Who is ready for the song, Heavens Sorrow?" Cheers rang out, "Alright! Here we go!" Kaito smiled, launching into the song._

 _His voice was amazing. Remembering my job, I got back to work. The club was packed tonight. Even though it had only been two hours, my feet were already killing me. I hated the heels, and couldn't wait to kick them off. My preferred shoes are my beloved teal ballerina flats. I could feel a blister laying claim to my baby toe on my right foot. Finally, I went on break. In the break room, I sank into a chair and kicked off my heels._

 _"Ow!"_

 _I looked up and blushed, "I'm so sorry! I couldn't wait to get them off!" I stood, "Let me go get you some ice!" I had sent one of my heels right into the blue haired man's head, and already, an angry red knot was forming on the side of his head. He put up a hand._

 _"You didn't cause that." He smiled, "I had one of my fainting spells and fell into the door knob outside this morning."_

 _"You still need ice." I got the ice, "Sit and let me help you."_

 _He sat and let me hold the ice to his head, "I don't know your name."_

 _"I'm Hatsune Miku."_

 _"I'm Shion Kaito." Kaito said._

 _"Nice to meet you. You must have recently started here."_

 _"I started working here yesterday."_

 _"You looked so happy on stage."_

 _"I love to sing. Being on stage gives me purpose."_

 _"You play the harp very well."_

 _"Thanks."_

 _"I don't play any instruments."_

 _I hobbled back to my seat and sat down. Kaito noticed my blistered toe._

 _"Let me help you with that." He put the ice down and stood, pulling a tiny first aid kit from his pocket, "I carry one around because I never know when I'm going to faint and hurt myself. By the way, don't faint going down the stairs to the subway. Concussions and a broken eye socket hurt." He knelt and opened the blister before adding first aid cream and a bandage. His fingers were light and very gentle. I barely felt the pinch of the tweezers on my blister. He cleaned up and returned to his spot. He reapplied the ice to his head. I studied his profile. He was cute. His words held a faint accent that I couldn't place._

 _"Do I detect an accent?" I asked._

 _"Actually yes. I'm from the English Countryside." Kaito said, "I've lived in Japan now for six years."_

 _"I'm from Tokyo." I said._

I opened my eyes. Was bringing him home the right thing to do? Were we biting off more than we could chew? Were we bringing him home to die? Would Akaito even survive losing his twin? Thoughts dashed about my mind. More than ever, I missed Kaito. Would I get to talk to him again?

The door opened and Jodye came in.

"Miku, there is something you need to see." She said.

I stood, "Okay. Show me." Sundae was lying in her spot and I knew she would watch over her master. Jodye led me to the window where everyone else was, even Akaito, who was in a wheelchair. I walked up to the window and looked out. Flickering lights drew my attention toward the ground. I gasped, tears filling my eyes.

Below us, thousands of tiny lights flickered, and more and more arrived. Each light was a candle light. It was a candle lit vigil, and I knew it was for Kaito. Down below us, his fans, no, our fans were gathering together to spend the night with their candles burning in vigil and prayer for Kaito. The sight of it was very beautiful.

"It is beautiful." Akaito said.

"I know Kaito feels their love." Len whispered, "It is amazing."

"I would like to go down there." Rin said.

"I'll go with you." I said.

We went down to the entrance and stepped outside. Rin smiled and waved. I did the same, ignoring the tears running down my face. I felt the love from everyone outside. We were handed microphones.

"We just wanted to come down and thank you in person." I said.

A boy stepped forward. "It is just not here. Vigils are happening everywhere. They are not just for the victims of the recent earthquake, but for Kaito too. We all are rooting for him to recover."

"Thank you." Rin smiled, "I know Kaito is feeling your energy."

"How is Kaito doing?" the boy asked.

I sighed, "He's not doing very well right now. He's suffered a bad stroke that caused part of his brain to die. We are going to bring him home."

"I just know being home will help!" Rin was trying to be upbeat and cheerful. I knew it was taking her great effort. "I know he can hear us! Kaito will survive! Right now he needs your healing energy and prayers!"

"Thank you all for doing this. Ready, Rin?" I managed to grin through my tears.

"We are going to treat you to a song or two. First is Saihate, for those we lost." Rin said.

We both began to sing. My heart was not in it. To my ears, my voice sounded flat. We did Tell Your World next. Again, I just did not feel the enthusiasm I usually felt while performing. This felt wrong. I knew what my problem was. I needed Kaito at my side. I could tell Rin was feeling the same thing. Her enthusiasm was low, but she was trying. After our songs were finished, we thanked everyone again and went back inside.

In the elevator, Rin turned to me, "The singing, that wasn't us."

"It wasn't. I didn't feel it. Rin, I'm done singing. I just don't have the will to sing anymore."

"Same here. It feels wrong." We arrived onto the ICU floor and went to Kaito's room. Everybody was waiting outside the room. My stomach dropped. Rin's hands flew to her mouth. Sundae was on Akaito's lap, her emerald gaze locked on the door.

"His blood pressure started climbing again. They are trying to bring it down." Jodye broke the silence, "Len told me what happened last time."

"They can't figure out why this keeps happening!" Len blinked rapidly.

Ann came from the room, "Crisis adverted. We managed to get his blood pressure down. Dr. Hart is going to review all the medication he's on to see if the problem is there. He might decrease the dosage of the Celta he is on." She leaned back against the wall, "Whew, I haven't been this tired since Neru was a baby. Once we get this under control, everything will be fine. You guys may go in now. I need to get the ball rolling on getting you guys home."

We trooped into the room. Dr. Hart was sitting in a chair near Kaito.

"I'm initiating another watch. The next 24 hours are critical. If he can make it 24 hours without an incident, I will sign off on letting him go home." Dr. Hart was holding an iPad, "Let's see, he has been on Metformin, Celta, and Bartophin. I've added immune suppressants, anti-nausea medication, potassium drips, glucose drips…" He looked up, "None of these raise the blood pressure except Celta, and it's not the Celta. Wait, why is he on Barbiturate? That's not the pain medication I put him on." He tapped the screen, "Barbiturate type pain medication are known to raise blood pressure. I put him on Morphine."

"You better have a good explanation." Akaito glared at the cardiology professor.

"Hmm, I see what happened. Somebody mistook the Bartophin for Barbiturate. You and Miku were to be given Bartophin, but somehow, you wound up getting Barbiturate instead. I have got to get him out of this hospital before another screw up happens that ends up killing him. I know you want to bring him home." Dr. Hart sighed.

"That is right. Ann, Gumi, Dr. Greene, and Oliver have been teaching us how to take care of Kaito." I explained, "We are learning how to change the colostomy bag, run dialysis, make up his meals and attach them to the feeding tube, how to move him so he doesn't develop bed sores, and the other things we must do to care for him."

"I know he'll do much better in familiar surroundings." Mieko nodded.

"I will allow it." Dr. Hart said, "I do feel that he'll do better too. Make sure that Sundae is with him. He does better with her beside him. It is why I had Ann bring her to me while doing the watch earlier. He stabilized after she settled in by him."

"She does love him. When he first brought her home, she was only two weeks old. He cared for her and it is no surprise that she's bonded to him." Rin said.

"I enjoy reading with her on my lap. We have our daily evening reading session." Luka smiled, "She'll be happy to be home. So too will Kaito."

 **GAKUPO**

We stayed the night in Kaito's room. Akaito got cleared to go home instead of to Mercy. Early in the morning, we got woken up. Kaito was packaged up as Dr. Hart called it and we went up to the roof where a medical transport was waiting. The plan was to fly to Mercy where Kaito would be checked over before being brought home by ambulance. Paramedics called and let us know everything was set up, and that they were waiting for him. We all slept on the two hour flight to Mercy. Two hours later, Kaito was brought home at last. Sundae was overjoyed to be home. She ran about sniffing and rubbing on everything. Kaito was carried by stretcher to his room and set up. Gumi and Oliver had come with us to ensure that everything went well, which it did.

"You know, Christmas is two weeks away." Len said.

"I'm not in a very Christmassy mood." Rin replied, "All I want for Christmas is for Kaito to wake up, and be normal."

"You know he won't be normal, not with the brain damage from the last stroke." Luka explained gently, "I'm not in a very Christmassy mood ether."

"I don't think anyone is." I replied.

"Someone needs to be with Kaito at all times, so we will work out shifts. Len, Rin, and Luka have school. They won't get the night shifts, but they can take evening shifts." Miku decided.

"I could take an early morning shift if necessary, as long as there is a pot of coffee to wake me up." Luka said.

"All right. The twins won't receive the early morning shift unless it's on the weekend." Miku replied, "I'm going to walk the house to see what got damaged." She left us. We all crowded into Kaito's room. It was a tight fit due to all the machines. Miku returned to us.

"The basement and first floor are okay. The second floor took some damage and until that is repaired; Gakupo and Mieko are sleeping downstairs. The third floor is worse off, and we lost part of the roof. The attic is intact, but I don't know if it will hold. As long as there are no storms, we will be okay. I'm going over the budget and hopefully, I'll find money to make repairs." Miku held her laptop, "If that album were out, things would be better. Thankfully, Kaito finished recording his songs. Hopefully the rest of us can do the same, but I've just don't have the will to do so."

"Gaka expects us to have it done by March first, and she won't give us any more time to finish it." Akaito sighed.

"Let's face it. We are superstars and we are broke." Mieko replied, "I'm not in a singing mood ether. What are we going to do for Christmas? We have the Christmas concert, and we can't cancel that."

"That'll bring in something, at least 300,000 to 800,000 dollars to be exact." I said, "We might need to raise the price of tickets."

"Our fans won't be thrilled. We charge around 50 dollars per ticket." Miku replied, "The venue has ten thousand seats. That's 500,000 thousand from ticket sales, and we can expect around 100,000 from the concession stands. The Kaito dolls are a popular item, so those will be there. My dolls are also very popular too."

"What about the winged guardian Kaito dolls?" Len asked.

"Those will go like hotcakes." Mieko said, "My dolls do well too as does Lukas. Gakupo's also do well, and the Len and Rin dolls are popular among children. Akaito's dolls sell, but aren't very popular, save for the ones that come with chili peppers that the doll can eat."

"I know, I'm not popular." Akaito replied, "The plush versions of me sell well."

"Let's face it. We are poor." Miku said, "We will get through this."

"We better." Len replied, "Akaito, I take it your family is covering the cost of us caring for Kaito?"

"Yes. My grandparents are flying in from England to lend a hand. Plus, my aunt is probably going to move in. Xaito will be here too, and he doesn't need a bed. You can leave repairs to Grandpa Shion." Akaito replied, "Grandma Shion worked as a nurse so she knows what to do. Grandpa Shion runs a farm and knows repairs."

"It's going to be crowded until the second and third floors are repaired. I've got a cot down in my studio Mieko and I can use." I said.

That night, we all slept in Kaito's room. I kept one eye open on Kaito, and I knew I wasn't the only one. Sundae pretty much glued herself to her spot between Kaito's neck and shoulder. Now that he was home, I hoped he would start getting better and wake up.

 **Queen Sunstar: Over 2000 hits? Thank you all so much! Next chapter should be the last before the epilogue, I hope. I'm not giving anything away. Let's just say things get worse before finally getting better. Sundae will have a POV, and it is heartbreaking. I'm going to be nice and leave you with a tiny preview.**

 **Preview:**

 **Sundae**

I was sleeping when I felt the shaking start. I bolted awake to see Master shaking. I knew at once this was not good. Spotting Purple, I gave a sharp meow, causing him to jump and wake up. The furless shot to Master's side and called out to the other Furless in a panicky voice. I parked myself behind Master's head, laying against him and purring like a mad thing. The other Furless rushed into the room. One of the Furless was on the invisible voice maker.

The bad smell was thick in the room. Why couldn't the Furless smell it too? Before long, Furless smelling of the white place rushed into the room. I stood and growled menacingly, only to be picked up by Banana and carried out of the room.

"No! Master!" I protested, "Put me down! Master needs me!" I wiggled, but Banana held on to me.

Two Tails spoke to Banana, who carried me to Fishlady's room and put me on the bed. I bolted for the door, but Banana was faster, shutting me up in the room.

"Hey! Let me out!" I clawed the door, "Master needs me! Let me out!"

No Furless opened the door. I heard sounds outside the room. One sound was of wheels turning. I knew that sound, having heard it many times in the white place. They were taking Master away! I threw myself at the door, clawing and demanding to be released, but I was ignored.

"MASTER! LET ME OUT! MASTER!" Wood splintered under my claws, "LET ME OUT! I DEMAND TO BE LET OUT! MASTER!" bits of wood caught up in my claws, causing me pain and making me bleed, but I didn't stop. "LET ME OUT!"

A big sharp piece cut into my paw. I stopped scratching because of the pain. Limping to the bed, I jumped up on it and lay down. I worked to remove the bits of wood from under my claws. The big piece came easily, but my paw bled. I licked it to make it stop bleeding but it wouldn't stop. Hearing a noise, I flung myself at the door with a scream, clawing the wood and not caring that I was getting blood on the wood.

The door opened and I heard Two Tails gasp.

"Sundae!" I was scooped up and harnessed quickly. Sadly, I wasn't being taken to Master's side. Two Tails had another destination in mind. She carried me in and I knew at once where I was.

"NO! Not here Two Tails! Master, take me to Master!" I begged.

I was taken back to a room with a shiny table and put on it. Before long, White Coat came in and looked at me. He went to the counter and came toward me with a sharp stick. I backed away. Two Tails was talking to White Coat as he took me by the scruff of the neck and stabbed me. I yowled at him.

I began to feel sleepy. Curling up, I glared at Two Tails. White Coat put me on my side, but I was too tired to protest. Two Tails stood beside me. White Coat took out a pincher and went to work. I closed my eyes.

 **This is not the heartbreaking scene, but some of you may find this scene heartbreaking. I plan to update before Feburary.**


	23. Care

**RIN**

We had fallen into a routine. Due to the earthquake, school was closed and it was hoped that repairs would be done in time to open after winter break. The Christmas decorations were out of storage, but no one had gotten to or felt like putting them up. Akaito had started putting the tree together, but it currently lay in pieces in the corner of the living room. It was my turn to watch over Kaito, and Luka had gone to prepare a bag of nutrients so I could feed Kaito. He was currently positioned on his left side. Sundae was curled up by his feet, her head resting on his leg. Kaito looked like he was sleeping, but I knew the truth. Oliver had said that it was looking less and less likely that Kaito would wake up.

"I wish you would wake up." I broke the silence, knowing I wouldn't get a response. "As hard as taking care of you is, I'm glad we are doing this. Do you even know you are home? Will we get to talk to you again?"

I sat back against the chair. There had been a few firsts. Gakupo had been the first to change the colostomy bag, and it had been hilarious. I'd never seen the dancing samurai look that green before. It hadn't helped that the bag had broken, and we were all pretty sure Gakupo had burned the robe he was wearing at the time. There had been the first time running dialysis, which had fallen to Akaito. He was spared when his grandparents arrived and Grandma Shion had calmly gone over and ran the machine for us.

The elderly woman was also in the room, knitting. I could hear the sound of a hammer drifting down from upstairs as Grandpa Shion worked. Grandma Shion had short, curly blue grey hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was wearing blue scrubs and was sitting with her legs crossed. She was tall and thin. Grandpa Shion resembled an older version of Akaito, and he still had his bright red hair and like Akaito, crimson eyes. He was tanned from farm work and built well. I could see where the Shion twins had inherited their looks.

"My grandson isn't the only one." Grandma Shion said, "Many Shion men died suddenly in their 20s. ES is rare, but it runs in this family. It seems their mother was a carrier."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, for the men, ether they have it or they don't. Shion women are carriers and can't get ES. It has to do with genetics. The faulty gene is found on the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes while men have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. They get the X chromosome with the faulty gene, they get ES." Grandma Shion replied.

Luka came in with the bag and attached it to the correct tube.

"Akaito finished putting the tree up." She sighed, "I just don't feel like celebrating."

"Neither do I." I agreed.

"The only thing I want for Christmas is for Kaito to wake up." Len came into the room, "I don't care what shape he is in. I just want him back."

"We all do, Len." I replied.

"You two love him." Grandma Shion said, standing and checking on several machines, "Everything reads normal across the board."

"Of course we do. He is our big brother." Len said.

"It is the same with me." Luka undid the bag from the tube, "The colostomy bag needs to be changed, so Len, care to do it?"

"I'll do it when it is my shift!" Len backed away.

I stood, "Len, it is not that bad." I changed out the bag quickly, "See?"

"I can tell you numerous horror stories involving those bags." Grandma Shion smiled, "I've lost count on how many times they've broken on me."

"He is very squeamish." I said.

"I'm not squeamish. Changing the bag is disgusting." Len shot back.

"Twins." Luka reprimanded, "You both have been told not to fight around Kaito, many times."

"We're not fighting." I said, "We are talking."

"Yep, just talking." Len added quickly.

"Behave yourselves or you won't get to help." Luka glared at us. "They are often like this."

"I don't think I've ever seen Akaito and Kaito fight." Grandma Shion said.

"That's because they don't fight." I said.

"They wage war." Len shuddered, "It usually ends with Gakupo making a dire threat involving his chore lists."

"You have heard about Akaito and Miku tying the knot so to speak, right?" I asked.

"I have, and I'm looking forward to having Miku as my granddaughter in law. I wish Kaita and Laito were still with us. They would have loved Miku." Grandma Shion's eyes got misty, "Laito was my son, and Kaita was the daughter of our next door neighbor, the Sánchez. We have an ongoing rivalry with them. Kaita was such a lovely girl. She and Laito knew each other since they were in diapers. They were made for each other."

"Kaito told us how Kaita was distant with him." Len said.

"Yes, she was distant with Kaito, but she did love him. While she was pregnant with him and Akaito, she learned that they were mono-mono with twin to twin transfusion syndrome. She was told that the weaker twin, Kaito, would not survive being born. She took the news very hard. She did all her grieving before the birth. She fully expected one live baby, but Kaito surprised us by surviving being born. We all were overjoyed, but Kaita felt cheated in a way. She was afraid to love Kaito because she felt that he wouldn't live very long. I think deep inside, she knew he had the curse. Don't get me wrong, she did love Kaito." Grandma Shion stood, "It is time to run dialysis. He gets a little better and stronger every day."

 **SUNDAE**

I stood and stretched. Master had been sleeping for a long time now, and he had never slept this long. I jumped over to the desk while the Furless repositioned Master so he was on his back. I jumped back onto the bed and walked up to Master's face.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead!" I said cheerfully. I waited. Master stayed asleep. "Master, wake up!" I nosed his cheek. Again, Master didn't respond. "It's time to get up, so get up!" I tried, sticking my nose into his ear and wiggling my whiskers. This always got him to wake up, but this time, Master slept on. I sat back, confused. Why wasn't Master waking up? "Master, this isn't funny anymore! Wake up!" I pawed his cheek. Master didn't respond. "Come on, wake up!" I jumped down to the floor and rooted under the bed to find my ball. Jumping up onto the bed, I set the ball down by Master's hand. We always played a few rounds of fetch in the morning after our cuddle. I love fetch. I nosed the ball up to Master's hand. "Master, come on, let's play! You like fetch almost as much as I do!" I waited, but Master didn't respond. I heaved a sigh and went up to my spot by Master's shoulder and neck, "I guess we can nap for a while. Why are you so sleepy, Master? Why won't you wake up? I love you, Master."

It was the sudden shaking that woke me. I bolted awake to see Master shaking. I knew at once this was not good. Spotting Purple, who was sleeping, I gave a sharp meow, causing him to jump and wake up. The furless shot to Master's side and called out to the other Furless in a panicky voice. I parked myself behind Master's head, laying against him and purring like a mad thing. The other Furless rushed into the room. One of the Furless was on the invisible voice maker.

The bad smell was thick in the room. Why couldn't the Furless smell it too? Before long, Furless smelling of the white place rushed into the room. I stood and growled menacingly, only to be picked up by Banana and carried out of the room.

"No! Master!" I protested, "Put me down! Master needs me!" I wiggled, but Banana held on to me.

Two Tails spoke to Banana, who carried me to Fish's room and put me on the bed. I bolted for the door, but Banana was faster, shutting me up in the room.

"Hey! Let me out!" I clawed the door, "Master needs me! Let me out!"

No Furless opened the door. I heard sounds outside the room. One sound was of wheels turning. I knew that sound, having heard it many times in the white place. They were taking Master away! I threw myself at the door, clawing and demanding to be released, but I was ignored.

"MASTER! LET ME OUT! MASTER!" Wood splintered under my claws, "LET ME OUT! I DEMAND TO BE LET OUT! MASTER!" bits of wood caught up in my claws, causing me pain and making me bleed, but I didn't stop. "LET ME OUT!"

A big sharp piece cut into my paw. I stopped scratching because of the pain. Limping to the bed, I jumped up on it and lay down. I worked to remove the bits of wood from under my claws. The big piece came easily, but my paw bled. I licked it to make it stop bleeding but it wouldn't stop. Hearing a noise, I flung myself at the door with a scream, clawing the wood and not caring that I was getting blood on the wood.

The door opened and I heard Two Tails gasp.

"Sundae!" I was scooped up and harnessed quickly. Sadly, I wasn't being taken to Master's side. Two Tails had another destination in mind. She carried me in and I knew at once where I was.

"NO! Not here Two Tails! Master, take me to Master!" I begged.

I was taken back to a room with a shiny table and put on it. Before long, White Coat came in and looked at me. He went to the counter and came toward me with a sharp stick. I backed away. Two Tails was talking to White Coat as he took me by the scruff of the neck and stabbed me. I yowled at him.

I began to feel sleepy. Curling up, I glared at Two Tails. White Coat put me on my side, but I was too tired to protest. Two Tails stood beside me. White Coat took out a pincher and went to work. I closed my eyes.

 **MIKU**

I was more worried about Kaito than I was about Sundae. The vet, Dr. Russia, was quick and efficient, treating Sundae's ruined paws. He picked out all the bits of Luka's bedroom door and cleaned the wounds out. He bandaged her left front paw.

"I have never heard of a cat try to claw their way out of a bedroom before. Sundae will heal, but I am concerned about the middle toe on her right paw. The claw is loose and I feel that it will eventually need to be removed." Russia said, "Since she is here, why don't I give her the needed vaccines?"

"Go ahead. You know what happened to Kaito, right? Sundae refuses to leave his side. Their bond is so strong." Miku said, "Can you remove the claw now, or should we wait?"

"It could reattach, but I recommend removal. I can do it right now." Russia said, "I was at the concert with my two daughters. When he collapsed, I ran to the stage to assist, but was told to stay back. I didn't press the issue as I could see that the girl he was dancing with knew what to do. Some animals form very strong bonds with their humans. You should keep her close to Kaito. She may be the only thing keeping him with us."

"He does better with her by his side. I am very thankful I let her stay right now. I also realized how nice it was to have a pet." I said, "Sundae is our fur bearing Vocaloid. She has even performed beside Kaito on stage, and in the music video, Heat Haze Days."

"All done." Russia finished up with Sundae's right paw and bandaged it, "I'm putting her on an antibiotic to protect against infection, and a pain pill for pain. She'll recover with no problems."

I picked Sundae up off the table, "Thanks for seeing us so quickly, Russia."

"You are welcome." Russia handed me Sundae's medication.

We left. I put Sundae in the basket on my scooter and we rode to Mercy. Being pet friendly, Mercy often had pets as well as humans waiting in the waiting room. I carried Sundae in and joined everyone in the waiting room.

"Has there been any word?" I asked, moving to stand by Akaito.

"Nothing yet. They are running tests." Akaito looked like he was doing his best to keep himself together.

At that moment, Grandma Shion joined us.

"His brain is inflamed." The elderly woman explained, "The tests will tell us what is causing the inflammation. You don't want to know what can cause inflammation of the brain."

"What could cause it?" Len asked.

"Let's see, there is Meningitis, which is very contagious and if he has it, we all will be quarantined for two weeks to make sure we don't get sick with it too, Encephalitis, which is an infection of the brain, Tetanus, although it is very rare, Valley Fever, and many others I can't name." Grandma Shion explained, "It depends on what is inflamed, the membrane covering the brain called the Meninges, or is it the entire brain itself, or parts of the brain?"

"What would be the worst case scenario?" Luka asked.

"That would be primary amebic meningoencephalitis, an infection of the brain that is fatal nearly 98% of the time. It is caused by an amoeba called Naegleria Fowleri. You likely know it better as the brain eating amoeba. During my time as a nurse, it was always fatal. Now days, they can treat it, but it is still a deadly infection." Grandma Shion smiled, "Kaito doesn't have that. The amoeba responsible live in freshwater lakes and rivers, and it is mostly found in the USA. My feeling is that we are looking at an encephalitic process."

"Did you by per chance serve in the medical corps? There is a legend of sorts about a nurse who worked the front lines. They say she never once lost a patient. This was World War II." Gakupo asked.

"I served the English army as a War Nurse. My unit was sent out during the Korean and later Vietnam Wars. You are talking about my aunt. She was the same one who moved in after my mother died in childbirth and basically raised me, my two sisters, and my five brothers. My aunt continued her duties as a nurse and she very rarely lost a patient. That old legend isn't really true. She did lose a few patients." Grandma Shion explained, "She died at the ripe old age of 106. She never stopped working. She sat down and was found dead 30 minutes later. She always said she would retire when she was dead."

The door opened and a doctor entered the room.

"The spinal tap is clear and the CT scan does show inflammation in the brain stem and cerebellum. I've ordered an MRI, and preliminary lab results show an elevated white blood cell count. His immune system is responding to something, and it is not the recent transplanted organs. I believe that yes, there is an infective process going on in his brain. We have gotten his seizures under control. I know you want to take him home once we are done with him, and yes, you can. We need to rule a lot of things out first, and I have added a strong antibiotic as well as an inflammatory to his medications." The doctor explained, "I'm Ted, by the way, the on call Neurologist. It doesn't look very good. With the damage already present and now the inflammation, his chances of waking up are very poor. He is on the fifth floor in room 5A."

"I've noticed that whenever Kaito ends up in the hospital, the number 5 is ether in his room number or floor number." Len said, "Along with the letter A."

"Wait, is it okay if I bring Sundae too? I know that Mercy is pet friendly, but you do have areas that are kept pet free." I asked, considering what Len had just said.

"She can go see him." Ted smiled, "I am firmly in the pet friendly camp."

"You know, Len is right." Luka said as we headed toward the elevator.

"That is odd." Mieko rested a hand on her growing stomach, "Seriously? My bladder is not a football, so kindly stop the kicking!"

"Problems?" Rin asked.

"She's active." Mieko said, "Last night, she discovered my ribs."

"How far along are you?" I asked.

"I'm six months along exactly. I'm due around the end of March." Mieko smiled, "I'm looking forward to motherhood."

"Will Kaito still be with us when Mieko gives birth?" Len wondered, "Are we witnessing Kaito's last gasps of life?"

"Len, don't think like that." Akaito finally broke his silence, "You don't know Kaito like I do, none of you do! I watched him overcome everything Buddha has thrown at him, and he will come out of this all right! He is far stronger than you'll ever know! Kaito will recover, he will wake up!"

I looked up at him, "Is there something you know that we don't, my love?"

"I'm his twin brother, so yes. Yes, we share a link! I still feel him with me, and that feeling has been growing stronger! I know he is coming back to us!" Akaito stared at all of us, "Len, Rin, you should understand better than the others can."

"We do. It is strange, but we both can feel the other in our minds." Rin said as Len nodded, "It is how Len was able to find me so quickly."

"I always know where Rin is. If it were Rin and not Kaito that got sick, I know I wouldn't be taking it as well as you have." Len said as Rin nodded, "We may fight but in the end, we are each other's other half. If anything happened to Rin, I wouldn't be able to continue."

"Same here. I may hate him from time to time, but losing him would break me." Rin added.

"You see? Losing Kaito would not just crush me, but it would break me and I know I won't survive the loss. Kaito is half of me just as I am half of him. What good is a half without its other half? I'm nothing without my twin." Akaito choked back tears, "This hurts so much seeing him so sick, so helpless! I just want my brother back!"

"Akaito, we want him back too." I said, "He will come back." We stepped into Kaito's room. A familiar woman stood in the room, holding a clipboard as she went over notes.

"Sonika!" Luka ran to her.

"Oh hello!" Sonika greeted us, "He is in my care while he is here. I've never seen someone look so bad without being dead. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for the loss of Jodye."

"Actually," Jodye entered the room, "I'm alive."

"But I saw your body! You were stone cold dead!" Sonika gasped, "You've defied logic!"

"I was here to meet the doctor who will do the surgery on my ears, and I heard Kaito was brought in, so here I am." Jodye said, "I also have a dance gig. Some of the performers are putting together a concert to raise money for you guys, and I'm performing alongside Al. Uta has shown interest in me too, so I may be performing with one of them when they go on tour next year. I have my surgery on Friday, and recovery is quick. I'll need to be kept quiet for a day or two. I was hoping you guys wouldn't mind me staying with you while I recover. I'll even pitch in to help with Kaito."

"I'm so happy for you!" Sonika said, "I'm totally going to be your nurse! You are right, recovery is very quick."

"So, what is the word on Kaito?" Luka asked.

"Well, not well. He is dangerously underweight. He currently weighs 78 pounds. He should weigh around 140 pounds. If he keeps dropping weight like this, he won't have enough in him to survive. I have requested an intake test to see how much nutrition he is getting. He might not be absorbing nutrients very well. This happens when you become dangerously underweight. He has no fat to speak of, and it looks like his body is going after his muscles to try to stave off starvation." Sonika explained, "He is slowly starving to death."

"Can it be fixed?" I asked, depositing Sundae on her usual spot.

"It is fixed by gaining weight." Sonika answered, "I would like to keep him here for a bit until he puts on some weight."

"No, we are taking him home." Akaito responded strongly, "I know he would rather be home than in a hospital."

Ted came into the room, "I need to take him to radiology. You may wait here."

Akaito picked up Sundae, who was waking up. She looked around and blinked. Spotting her human being taken away, she let loose with a high pitched screaming wail and fought to get out of Akaito's arms.

"Sundae, enough!" Akaito grabbed the scruff of her neck, "Calm down. Kaito is coming back, I promise. Easy now."

"Hiss!" Sundae voiced her complaints about not being by Kaito.

"I know, calm down." Akaito soothed.

Sundae settled down, but gave him a dark look, her ears flat against her head. We waited. Mieko, Gakupo, and Luka left for the maternity ward as Mieko had a scheduled ultrasound. I looked around. Len was holding Jodye with Rin by his side. All three of them looked sad. I remembered Jodye's question.

"Jodye, of course you can stay, as long as it is okay with your parents." I said, "We will be happy to have you."

"Thanks, Miku. You guys are the first people to treat me as a friend, and I value your friendship. Feel free to ask me to help with Kaito." Jodye said.

"You can help. Kaito will only get better as long as everyone does their part." Akaito nodded.

"Len told me all about the exploding colostomy bag. I would have loved to have seen the look on Gakupo's face." Jodye said.

"It was priceless!" Rin started laughing all over again, "I thought for sure he was going to be sick!"

"He totally burned the robe he was wearing too." Len added.

I turned my attention to Akaito. Right now, he looked so lost. He had aged; worry had dimmed his beautiful crimson eyes. He looked so sad. This had to be so hard for him. He was watching his last immediate family member weaken and fade before his eyes. I was doing my best to be supportive and help shoulder his burden. I was wearing the ring again as my right hand had healed up, and I was no longer wearing casts. The only pain I still had was a minor ache where my chest was cut open. I am known for healing fast. I wasn't even taking pain medication anymore. I worried not only about Kaito, but Akaito too. Seeing him fall into that coma had been the scariest thing ever. I had not left him once. Mieko, Gakupo, and Luka returned from the ultrasound.

"Everything is looking good." Luka said, "I'm excited! I can't wait to meet my little sister!"

"It just became real. I'm going to be a dad." Gakupo said.

"Mieko is growing the ninth member I see." Sonika joked, "I'm so happy for you two!"

"We are excited too. Hopefully, this one is the first of many." Mieko smiled.

"I have been thinking about singing, and I decided that my real love is helping people heal. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to sing. I have decided that I will sing in charity events, and I'm going to sing at the benefit concert for you guys. It is being put together by all of us fans. There won't be just singing. There will be dancing and other talents on display. We are also planning to end it with a candlelit vigil for Kaito." Sonika replied, "It is being held at the park where Yohioloid's ashes were scattered."

"You guys are amazing to us. We love performing for you all." Akaito's voice caught, "Kaito will be happy to hear what you guys did for us."

"Aw, somebody has gone soft." Gakupo ribbed playfully.

"I have not gone soft! There is something in my eye!" Akaito shot back.

Ted returned, followed by two orderlies wheeling Kaito's bed along. They placed him in the room and left. We waited.

"It is not good." Ted looked at all of us, "He has Idiopathic Meningoencephalitis."

"What does that mean?" Len asked, "Is it going to kill him?"

"Idiopathic Meningoencephalitis means there is an infection going on. Idiopathic is our way of saying we don't know what the infection is, but we do know there is an infection." Sonika explained.

"I'm not going to lie to you. This is a serious infection. Yes, it can prove to be fatal. I'm adding an anticonvulsant to his medications to help control the seizures. You can bring him home. I've already arranged an ambulance." Ted explained, "When he has a seizure, hold his head still and let him ride out the seizure."

"I've done that before. We used to put a spoon in the patients mouth to prevent swallowing of the tongue, but we don't do that part anymore." Grandma Shion said, "It was thought that the tongue could be swallowed, but now we know that is not true."

"Make sure to keep a close eye on his temperature. I want him brought back here if he hits 102 or higher." Ted continued, "I need one of you to sign the release form."

Akaito walked over and signed the papers. Five minutes later, the paramedics arrived and got Kaito ready to be moved. We all followed the ambulance home. Kaito was set back up in his room. We all crowded into the room. Sundae parked herself in her usual spot, glaring at us as if she were daring us to move her.

"There, he is all set. My daughter is fervently praying that he'll wake up. Don't worry, all of us emergency personnel have been sworn to silence over Kaito." The taller of the two paramedics said.

"Here, this is my card. Feel free to call me if you have questions or if one of the machines breaks down. My name is Jason Scott." Jason introduced himself.

"I'm Bill Severide. Here is my card too. Call ether of us if you need us." Bill introduced himself next, "We are needed so let's go, Jason."

They left. I walked over to the dialysis machine and attached the clear tubing to Kaito before pressing the power button. Nothing happened.

"Oh not again." Grumbling, I checked to make sure it was plugged in, which it was, "Work, you piece of junk!" I tapped the power button repeatedly. The machine finally began to run. It stopped mid run. "Seriously? You really are going to do this?"

Grandma Shion joined me, "Let's see…" She popped open the cover, "Here we are." She held up a wire, "Bad wire. See? It is coated in copper when it should be made entirely of copper. What? I sometimes had to fix machines too."

"What do we do now?" Jodye asked.

"The machine will have to be replaced." Grandma Shion answered, putting the wire back into place. Thankfully, the machine finished its job without further fuss. Grandma Shion left to deal with getting a replacement machine. She and Grandpa Shion were going to fly home for the holidays, and return in January. Grandpa Shion had gotten most of the repairs done. The more urgent stuff was done. He would finish everything else in January. The new machine would arrive in the morning. I had the night shift. Everyone else went to bed, leaving me alone.

I settled into a chair near Kaito's side, reaching out and taking his right hand into my own. The hand was cold, the translucent white skin stretched over bone. I made out each bone easily in that hand. I gave a gentle squeeze, but there was no answering squeeze.

"Where are you, Kaito?" I whispered softly, "Where have you gone?"

I opened up my notebook and stared at the song I had been trying to write. It felt wrong to be working on a song without Kaito's help. He was the group song writer. Sure, we all wrote and performed our own songs, but the songs Kaito wrote were far better than the rest of us could do. I had only written two lines of my new song, and it looked and sounded bad. I noticed Kaito's notebook on his desk. Curiosity got the best of me. I reached over and picked it up. Opening the notebook, I found Kaito's newest song. The song was called No More. Tears came to my eyes as I spotted a dedication. Kaito had dedicated this new song to Jodye. I read the words, and sat back, blinking rapidly to keep from crying. The song described the world Jodye lived in. Her world must be a lonely place. How do you live not being able to hear music? If I couldn't hear music, I would probably go crazy. Would Jodye like our music after she had her surgery and was able to hear? What about Len's voice? I turned the page. The next song broke my heart. Called Condemned, it told a story about being bullied and abused to the point of suicide. I knew Kaito had strong feelings about things like that. I put the notebook back and stared at my own notebook. I tore the page out and tossed it into the trash can under Kaito's desk. I stared at the blank page, not feeling any inspiration to write. I studied Kaito.

He looked pretty bad. He had always been skinny, unlike his twin, Akaito, who was built like a Greek god. I felt my face heat up. The twins were like night and day. Akaito loved spicy food, the hotter the better. His favorite food was ghost peppers. He tended a small garden out back where he grew several varieties of peppers. I was pretty sure he was cross breeding some of the plants to get a ghost pepper extra hot. I did agree with Rin on the fact Akaito had no taste buds. Kaito on the other hand was a gentle old soul. His thing was ice cream. He is the only guy I know who can put up to four gallons of ice cream away and not get sick, or gain weight. He was also known to power through colds, fevers, and even his Meniere's attacks. He has actually performed with us while suffering an attack. I knew he was in pain from the attack but he refused to sit the concert out. Could he have pushed himself too far? Wait, Kaito was smart enough to know how far he can push himself, and he would never push himself so far to make himself sicker.

Moonlight filtered through the window, casting soft light on Kaito's comatose form. He looked so angelic. I gave a light gasp. The way the light lay over Kaito, it looked he had wings. Was this a sign that he was going to pass? No, stop it. Be positive. No, don't fall apart. It is just light. It means nothing. I turned to look out the window. The sky was clear. The moon seemed to be resting on the Milky-Way, a shimmering milky ribbon of soft light that seemed to ululate across the sky. Many stars twinkled brightly. The night was beautiful. I felt my spirits lift. Inspiration flooded through me. I turned back to face Kaito. I knew what I needed to do. Would it work? Closing my eyes, I began to sing, letting the words come from my heart. I poured my entire being into my song.

 _Where are you?_

 _Am I reaching you?_

 _Can you hear my voice?_

 _Am I getting through?_

 _Where have you gone?_

 _Let this voice lead you home._

 _Let these words be your guide._

 _Please come home._

 _Please come back!_

Hmm, I could work with what I just sang. Of course, it needed a lot of work. I wrote down the words quickly. I looked at the clock. Mieko would start her shift at six AM. It was closing in on two AM. I yawned. Exhaustion was beginning to weigh me down. I fought against the need to sleep. It was important that I stay awake. Someone needed to keep their eyes on the machines to ensure they ran smoothly, and to help Kaito if he had another seizure.

My eyes snapped open, and I was moving toward Kaito before my brain registered the fact Kaito was in the throes of a seizure. Quickly, I held his head still. Sundae had draped herself over Kaito's neck like a black furry muffler. Slowly, the seizure came to an end. I picked up the thermometer and placed it under Kaito's armpit. It beeped, and read 99*F. For Kaito, that was two degrees above normal. I was concerned, but it wasn't in the danger zone yet. I returned to my chair. I had to fight to stay awake, but I lost the battle.

 _I found myself wearing a white dress with spaghetti straps. I was standing in a field of white flowers, with the moon glowing overhead. Ahead, I spotted Kaito. Wearing his black tank top, tight blue jeans, and black boots with his long blue scarf, he stood facing away from me. I moved toward him as he turned to face me. My eyes went wide as I broke into a run. I ran into his waiting arms._

 _"I've missed you so much." I cried out._

 _"Miku." Kaito looked away, "I can't do this anymore."_

 _"What, why?" I asked._

 _"I gave it all I had."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I'm letting go. It isn't right that you must suffer because of me. It will be much easier on all of you to have me pass."_

 _"No, stop! I thought Shion's never give up! You can't give up! You can't!" Tears beaded in the corners of my eyes._

 _"It would be easier to lose me now instead of later. You won't have to watch ES claim me as I approach my thirties. It is not fair to me that I must live like this."_

 _"Kaito, look at me. Yohioloid did not give you his heart, and Akaito and I did not give you one of our lungs each just so you could throw them away! Yes, ES is fatal, but that was years ago! With the transplants you received, you can live well beyond your thirties! Live, Kaito!" I begged._

 _The world changed. It was raining, and we were standing on top of a building. Kaito stood at the edge of the building. He was wearing his long white jacket and I was back in my old high school uniform. I ran to him. He only smiled, and fell backward off the building. Without thinking, I leapt after him. We fell. I reached out and grabbed for Kaito's hand, pulling him in close and wrapping my arms around him. My tears fell unabated._

 _"Kaito, please, don't do this!" I sobbed._

 _Kaito gave a bitter laugh, "It has won, Miku! Let me go!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Miku!"_

 _"I'm not letting go! Friends don't let friends go without a fight!"_

 _"You are insane!"_

 _"I'm your future sister in law, and that means we are family!"_

 _"It's over, Miku!"_

 _"No, it is not over! If you can't fight for yourself, than fight for all of us! Fight for Meiko and Gakupo and their unborn daughter! Fight for Luka and the Kagamine twins! Fight for me and Akaito! Fight for all of our fans! They all have been praying for you and holding vigils in hopes that you recover! Fight harder! Everyone believes in you! I know you can do it, Kaito! You are far stronger than you give yourself credit for. You are the only guy I know who can push through a Meniere's attack and perform. Please, don't give up."_

 _"I'm tired."_

 _"We all are tired. I had you brought home."_

 _"I'm home, in my own room?"_

 _"Yes, you are. We all are caring for you, even Jodye. Your grandparents came out to pitch in, and they are going to come back in January to continue to help care for you. Sundae has stayed by your side. I even brought her to the hospital so she could help you. You stabilized the moment she settled in her spot by you. She loves you, and losing you would just crush her. Fight for Sundae."_

 _"Sundae…"_

 _"Fight hard for her. Please don't give up."_

 _I felt him hugging me._

 _"I am going to fight harder. I'm just so tired. Didn't Jodye die?"_

 _"She did, but somehow she came back from the dead. She has been staying with us and soon she will have surgery on her ears which will allow her to hear. I know she wants to hear your voice."_

 _"If Jodye can come back from the dead, than I can come back from this. Miku thanks. You have given me hope. I'm going to fight as hard as I can."_

 _"We are all waiting for you to wake up. I know you have got this. You also got tubs of Hagen Daz vanilla ice cream in the freezer to devour. If you don't wake up soon, Len and Jodye are going to have eaten it all. They both promised to save a few tubs for you."_

 _Gently, we landed back in the moonlit field._

 _"I'm definitely going to wake up now." Kaito's eyes glinted._

 _"We will be waiting."_

I jerked awake. Looking at the clock, only two hours had passed, and Kaito looked like he was sleeping peacefully. I rose and stretched before going to the closet and selecting a clear bag of saline and glucose. I picked up the blood testing kit and tested Kaito's blood to see where his sugar level was at. Seeing that it was low, I hung the bag and attached it to an IV line. Next came the two shots. One was an antibiotic and the other the inflammatory. Both of them were to be injected every six hours. I'm not fond of needles. I administered both shots into Kaito's left arm. I finished by checking his temperature, which had hit 100 even. I went to the bathroom for a washcloth and got it wet. This I placed on Kaito's forehead. I heard the door open. Looking up, I spotted Rin.

"Rin, what are you doing up?" I asked.

"I had a night terror." Rin yawned, "It was the plane crash all over again. Do you think Kaito would mind if I crawled into his bed?"

"Go ahead. I bet he'll like that." I smiled, watching as Rin settled in next to Kaito, carefully avoiding all the wires and tubes. She went to sleep quickly. I yawned again. Curling up against Akaito under the covers of our bed sounded amazing. I had two hours to go until Mieko relieved me.

 **Queen Sunstar: I give up. I don't know when this story will end. We will see a Christmas miracle, so expect feels, and keep Kleenex within reach. Coming up, the Vocaloids do their best to celebrate Christmas without Kaito, but no one is in the Christmas spirit. They all want the same thing for Christmas; Kaito to wake up. Coming out of a coma in real life is not like what you see on TV or in the movies as Len will learn. It takes time for the body to come out of the coma. Each day, you become a little bit more aware. You will do things very out of character such as yell, swear, try to remove the tubes and wires feeding into your body, and act as if you don't know your loved ones. On top of coming up out of the coma, Kaito will have to cope with brain injuries both from the infection, the three strokes, and all the times he went into cardiac arrest. The brain is an amazing organ. It can build new routes to bypass the damaged areas and make new connections. In fact, there are people who discover that they have Anencephaly later in life after a CT scan or an MRI. Their brain has adapted to not having the missing part. These cases are very mild and the affected behave normally.**

 **Brain death means you are dead. You can't recover from brain death. There is no possible way to recover from brain death. Your brain is dead and it will never come back to life again. You can't shock a brain like you can with a heart. No matter what anyone tells you, brain death means you are dead and will never come back. Those cases you hear of people coming back from brain death were never truly brain dead. Kaito was never truly brain dead. Yes, he did stop responding, but it still recorded activity. I'm done ranting. I did take a year of vet medicine, so I do know what I am talking about. See you next chapter, and as always, feel free to leave a review!**


	24. Recovery

**AKAITO**

I was in bed beside Miku, and we both were awake. Miku was facing me. I longed to take her, but we both had not been cleared to resume our sex life yet. I studied my future bride, wondering how I had gotten so lucky to score such an amazing woman.

"Have you decided on what you are going to do about Kaito?" Miku broke the silence.

"Gaku would like me to have him euthanized, but that is not what I want." My voice caught, "22 years is too short of a life. He's barely gotten to live his adult life. This is so unfair!"

"I agree with you. At the same time, you know Kaito doesn't want to live this way. He may be your twin brother, but he is my best friend. It might be better to put him out." Miku blinked, tears beading in those gorgeous teal eyes, "I'm not ready to say good bye to Kaito!"

"I'm never going to be ready. I don't think I would be able to continue living with him gone." My voice caught again, "I would be the only one left of my family. I know I need to decide, but it is very hard. Can the Vocaloids still perform without Kaito?"

"We have performed without him before." Miku wiped a hand across her eyes, "It wasn't fun."

"I am going to honor his wish. He will not live this way. It is not what he wants and it is not fair to him to have to live this way because of us. I am going to do the right thing, even though it will be very hard." I choked back a sob, "It's for the best!"

"I can't begin to imagine the pain you must be feeling." Miku put her arms around me and pulled me close, "I love you, and I will help you as best as I can."

"Thanks, my love. We will somehow pull through this together." I murmured softly, resting my head next to hers and breathing in her scent. She put her head on my chest. We both drifted off after a bit.

Christmas day came at last. No one really wanted to celebrate, but we made an effort. I was on the clock, watching over Kaito. As usual, his hand remained cold and limp in my hand. I felt alone. It had always been the two of us, but now it was just me. Was this going to be my new reality? I had also started thinking about funeral plans. I knew the moment it was announced that Kaito was gone, memorials would pop up everywhere, the internet would be deluged with tributes, and there would be huge gatherings of fans doing candlelit vigils. I knew I had cousins who would make sure I would get through the pain of the loss.

My attention was drawn to my hand. I stared it, wondering why I was staring at it. The pressure of Kaito's grip was light, each translucent white finger standing out starkly against the tan of my skin. What was I not seeing here? Wait, weren't his fingers dangling limply from my grip a few moments ago? Everything started to click together. I looked up at my brother's face. His eyelids were moving, but hadn't opened yet. I knew at once what was about to happen.

"Everybody, get up here, now!" I was rewarded with the sound of pounding footsteps as everyone rushed into the room.

"What is going on?" Miku rushed to my side, "Is he?"

"No, it's even better than that. He is trying to wake up." I explained.

Sundae dashed into the room and flew up onto the bed. She rushed up to Kaito's head and rubbed her cheek against his. She sat and watched with us, her slim body quivering.

"Should we call someone?" Mieko asked.

"Who?" Gakupo asked.

"I was thinking Oliver, Gumi, and Dr. Greene, one of those paramedics maybe?" Mieko spotted the two business cards.

"I'm on it." Miku pulled out her cellphone. She made a few calls. "Dr. Greene, Gumi, and Oliver are on their way, and Jason will be here in a moment."

Rin left and returned with Jason, who checked everything over.

"Everything is good. He is aware and yes, he is going to wake up." Jason confirmed.

We all held our breaths, each of us willing Kaito to open his eyes. Finally, Kaito's eyes opened. Nobody moved. Sundae gave a joyous meow, dropping her head down to nuzzle her master again, following each nuzzle with licks. I moved closer.

"Hey." I said, "I've miss you, Kaito."

Recognition flooded those shining blue orbs. I knew he knew me, and he clearly knew Sundae. Len moved toward us.

"Wait." Jason said.

"Why?" Len asked.

"You don't want to overwhelm him." Jason answered, "Too many faces at once so soon after awaking up would only confuse him. He knows his cat and his twin brother, which is very good."

Miku joined me next, "You remember me, right?" Again, recognition flooded Kaito's eyes. I could see that they were getting heavy. Len noticed.

"Why is Kaito going back to sleep? Is he going back into the coma?" He worried.

"That is normal. Coming out of a coma is nothing like what you see on TV or in the movies. Kaito is not out of the coma yet. He has taken the first step. From here on out, He'll become more aware. He won't be awake for long at first. Due to both the brain injuries and the fading coma, he may act out of character like swearing and yelling at you, pulling wires and tubes out, and refusing to cooperate. I have firsthand experience coming out of a coma. I was very difficult. I made my aunt leave the room in tears more than once. Like Kaito, I had a circle of friends that made sure I did everything I was told. Plus, I had an aunt and uncle that put up with me through my recovery." Jason explained, "It takes weeks to fully awaken from the coma. It took me close to four weeks, and my coma lasted seven and a half weeks. It will take him weeks too."

Gumi, Oliver, and Dr. Greene entered the room. Luka took the twins out of the room. Mieko and Gakupo followed. All three of them did their own checks.

"Can you describe what happened?" Dr. Greene asked.

I did, "He knew me and Miku, and he knew his cat."

"That is really good. He may not be as bad as we originally thought." Oliver said. "We will not know for sure until he is completely out of his coma."

 **KAITO**

My eyes opened. I was completely paralyzed. I heard Sundae give a joyous meow and start nuzzling and licking my face. I knew her, and love for her filled my heart. I longed to pet her, but my body was unresponsive. A man with red hair and eyes moved into my line of sight. I felt a familiarity with this man. Yes, he was my brother. No name came to my mind, but I knew him.

"Hey. I missed you." His voice was deep.

A woman with long teal hair and eyes joined him. She looked familiar, but again, no name came to my mind.

"Hey, you remember me, right?" She asked.

I knew she and the red head had something coming up. My eyes began to grow heavy again. I drifted back to sleep.

I woke again. This time, only a pink haired woman was in my room with me. Sundae opened her bright green eyes and purred upon seeing me awake. The woman stood and came to my side. I stared at her, but there was no recognition. Did I know her?

"Hey, Kaito. I see that you don't remember me. It is okay. We were told to expect this. Don't worry. Your memory will improve." The woman smiled, "It's Luka, by the way."

Luka. The name didn't ring any bells. Had I known her? What else had I lost? I still couldn't remember the name of my brother or the teal haired woman. Luka. I knew she should be familiar to me, but there was nothing. Would I have to get to know everyone again? Like before, I didn't stay awake for long.

Ove the course of the next few weeks, I became more aware. My memory started to return in fragments. I knew the twins, but beyond them, the red head, and the woman, I did not remember anyone else. I slept a lot. A girl with short brown hair and eyes visited me often. I did not know her.

One day, as the girl read to me, a flash of memory struck me. I was on stage with her. We were dancing. Pain struck me, and I went down. Jodye. Yes, her name was Jodye. She was deaf. We talked with our hands. More of my fragmented memory came together. I turned my head to her. Slowly, I raised my hands and signed.

"I know you." I signed, the signs coming to me easily. I remembered how to sign.

"That is very good. Do you remember anything else?" Jodye signed back. She had been signing as she read to me.

"We danced together. I got sick." I signed.

"Yes, you did get sick. We did dance together. You helped me become a better dancer. Do you know what happened?"

"Coma, I was very sick. Shion curse."

"Yes. You had ES."

"Eisenmenger Syndrome. I had a heart transplant and a lung transplant. I remember pain."

"That's right."

"I had strokes which caused brain damage."

"Yes, you did have strokes. The strokes hurt your brain badly. Is anything else coming back?"

I thought, "No."

"Some things may not come back. You are doing well. Go on and sleep. I'm right here."

I didn't have to be told twice.

I improved slowly. Some of the machines and two of the IV's were removed. My kidney came back, and I was put on a catheter. The feeding tube stayed. I got much stronger, and the tracheotomy was reversed. My very first spoken words were where is my cat? Sundae was placed beside me on the bed, and I managed to very weakly pet her. I was given an oxygen mask connected to a tube to use. It pushed air into the mask which I breathed. It felt good to finally breathe on my own. I had speech therapy and physical therapy. Jodye had told me that she had undergone surgery that repaired her ears and made it possible for her to hear. She was going through speech therapy too, and we had the same therapist. I preferred to sign over speaking. It was embarrassing to have to be corrected on pronunciation. I was encouraged to talk just as Jodye was.

"You will only improve by talking." Rin, Len, and Jodye were in my room with me, doing homework. I was helping out with their math homework. I had not forgotten my love of numbers and it had stayed with me.

"It's hard." I responded, focusing on pronouncing the words correctly.

"I agree." Jodye said, also being careful to get the words said right.

"So, has anything else come back?" Len asked.

"I still don't rememper Luka, Gakupa, or Mieka." I answered.

"It is remember, with a b, not a p. Gakupo, an o, not an a. Mieko, not a, an o too. You are getting better." Rin corrected gently.

I repeated the words carefully, "I wish my memory would return."

"You'll remember them." Len smiled, "It takes time."

"Your brain is creating new passways to bypass the damage." Jodye explained, "That takes time."

"Pathways, Jodye." Len corrected.

"Oh sorry." Jodye blushed.

"It is okay. You both have improved a lot." Rin smiled, "5 square root 81 plus 10. Let's see. Help."

"Multiply the square root of 81 with five and add ten." I clarified.

"What times itself equals 81?" Jodye supplied.

"81… oh! 9! 5 times 9 plus 10, that's 55!" Rin wrote down her answer, "The equations are getting easier."

A few days went by. Jodye and I had our next session with the therapist. We were assigned homework, which we both groaned about. Luka made sure we practiced as that was our homework.

 **RIN**

April had come. Kaito was doing very well. Len, Jodye, and I were walking home from the bus stop.

"I can't believe how much homework I've got." Len complained, "All of my teachers were homework happy today."

"I hope you have started the book report. It is due Friday, two days from now." Jodye said. Her speech was nearly flawless now. Len went white. "You haven't started it yet."

"I finished that book report two weeks ago." I grinned.

"I've been finished since a week ago." Jodye added, watching Len squirm.

"I haven't started it yet! I've been busy helping to take care of Kaito!" he wailed.

"Can you find a book and finish it in time?" I asked.

"I'm doomed! That report is one third of our overall grade! Miku is going to kill me!" Len moped.

"So, has Mieko had the baby yet?" Jodye changed the subject.

"Not yet. She is due any day now. She is huge." I said, "She looks like she is carrying more than one."

"Hello? I'm going to be put six feet under!" Len moaned, "I'm so dead!"

We reached the mansion and went in. I stopped short. Kaito was sitting in a wheelchair in the living room instead of lying in bed. He looked happier, and he had put on some weight. His bones weren't so visible anymore. Miku greeted us at the door.

"Guess what? Mieko is finally in labor!" She was excited, "She is upstairs in hers and Gakupo's room with Gakupo, Luka, and the midwife right now! I can't wait to meet Shinako!"

"I see you finally let Kaito out of his room." I said.

"He was bored." Miku said, "Akaito brought him down. He has been outside already. Sundae enjoyed the exercise, and entertaining us with her antics."

"He is a lot happier." Jodye said, "Len, is there something you want to tell Miku, a report due in two days, perhaps?"

Len turned white. Miku tapped her foot. Len swallowed.

"I'm waiting." Miku replied.

"There is a book report due in literature, and I haven't started it yet." Len finally spoke.

"When is it due?" Miku asked.

"Um, this Friday." Len braced himself.

"Len, I have been over this with you so many times now. Stop leaving your school work to the last moment! You are going to march yourself to your room and get started!" Miku growled.

"Yes, mom." Len went to his room.

Jodye and I went to the table to do homework. Kaito joined us. As usual, he got us through our math homework. Around dinner time, Gakupo came downstairs.

"Shinako is here." He looked exhausted, "Mom and babies are doing well."

Miku dashed toward the stairs with me and Jodye hot on her heels. We rushed upstairs and entered the bedroom. Mieko looked exhausted, but happy. She held two bundles in her arms. Miku's jaw dropped.

"Twins?" Jodye gasped.

Mieko smiled, "Come meet Shinako and Yohio."

"Yohio was a complete surprise. He was born first. I'm a dad." Gakupo was smiling.

"I'm a big sister." Luka was by Mieko, "Mieko was amazing! I got to cut the cord of my little sister!"

"Someday, that will be me." Miku smiled.

"And hopefully me." Jodye said, "I want to be a mom someday."

I moved to Mieko's side, "Where were you hiding, Yohio?"

"We never saw him on the ultrasounds." Mieko said.

"I'm Prima, a midwife. Everything went very well. I have seen this before. Yohio was most likely riding high behind Shinako. You said you got pain below your ribs. That was likely Yohio." Prima resembled Yohioloid. She had the same platinum blond hair and blue eyes he had. "I know you have noticed the family resemblance to Yohioloid. He was my big brother. Yes, I do sing. I do tours from time to time. I decided to become a midwife so I have something to do when I'm not touring. I am very happy I got to help two of my good friends become parents today, and see Kaito for myself. I definitely rooted for him to recover." Prima turned to Mieko, "I call being god mama!"

"You are." Mieko said, "They both go to you if anything happens to us."

"Hey, what about me?" Miku pouted.

"You are their other godmother." Prima smiled.

"I'm just kidding!" Miku joked, "So, Yohio?"

"We all said the name at the same time." Luka said.

"It just felt right. Yohioloid's gift gave Kaito and five other people life. In a way, he lives on in Yohio." Gakupo said.

"Meiko, how do you feel?" Jodye asked.

"I'm happy and tired. Labor didn't really hurt. You should have seen Gakupo's face when Prima told me I was going to have to push some more because I was about to deliver Yohio. It was priceless."

"It totally was!" Luka was laughing, "He couldn't even speak!"

"Alright, mom needs to rest. Dad and sister may stay." Prima packed up her bag, "The babies do need to be fed."

"I planned to breast feed, but with twins, would I need to substitute formula?" Mieko asked.

"That depends on how much milk you produce." Prima answered, "I would wait a few days and see how they do."

"We'll leave you to it." Miku, Jodye, and I left. "I have to make dinner. Rin, Jodye, can I trust you to make Kaito's dinner?"

"He's still on the feeding tube?" Jodye asked, "I thought he would be off of it by now."

"We all did. Even though he is doing well, he is still very weak." I explained, "You are speaking so well."

"It was embarrassing to mispronounce isosceles during math class." Jodye said, "I am glad that Mr. Shion isn't afraid to correct me if needed."

Jodye and I went to the living room.

"Meiko and Gakupo are parents." I said.

"So Shinako is here." Kaito said, "Was it twins?"

"How do you do that? They have twins. Shinako has a twin brother, Yohio." I answered, "Seriously, how do you do that?"

"It is not that difficult. Her size was too large for just one baby, and over the last few months, she ate more than she should for one baby." Kaito explained, "By the way, I may have known she was pregnant before she did."

"Meiko found out when she was fifteen weeks along." Jodye said.

"We need to get started on making your dinner. When did you suspect she might be pregnant?" I asked.

"Well, Miku was the only one in PMS mode eight weeks before Meiko found out. It was kind of nice that Meiko wasn't in PMS mode. For once, I didn't have to dodge flying Sake bottles. I only had to dodge leaks being used as weapons." Kaito said, "You two will be going through it too in a few years."

"You learned about both sides of the reproduction cycle, did you?"

"Unfortunately, yes. This was years before I was diagnosed with my Meniere's. I missed the lesson due to having a massive migraine. I ended up missing a week of school to that headache, and since then, I have suffered through migraines that make that one feel like a walk in the park."

"Speaking of Meniere's, have you had any attacks since you woke up?" Jodye asked.

"I have. You can still throw up with a feeding tube."

I left them talking and entered the kitchen. Grabbing what I needed, I prepared the syringes with pureed food. Kaito was no longer being fed a liquid diet. He was also free from the IVs at last. I checked to see which medication I needed to mix up as medication was given through the feeding tube. Once I was finished filling the syringes, I carried them out to the living room on a tray. Jodye took the first one and attached it to the tube running into Kaito's stomach. She was pretty good at handling feedings, and had patiently guided us through preparation and feeding after explaining that her brother had been on one before he committed suicide. Jodye had finally explained it to us that her brother had been terminally ill with cancer in his heart. He had decided to end his suffering by having the doctor euthanize him with an overdose of anesthesia. She called it committing suicide because she felt that her brother had given up and chose the cowards way out. We found out from Kaito that Jodye had refused to grieve for her brother until after finally spilling everything to him.

"Not so fast. Do it nice and slowly. You don't want to do it too fast because that causes trapped air." I eased up on the injection at Jodye's words.

"That one is finished." I said.

"Here is the next one. Slowly, now. After that one comes the medication. I know, this probably is very uncomfortable for you." Jodye looked up at Kaito.

"It is a little uncomfortable." He admitted, "It did use to hurt but I've gotten used to it."

"That's all of it. You are looking exhausted. I say it is time you were taken back to bed." I said.

 **LEN**

It was now late May. In a little over four weeks, Rin, Jodye, and I would turn 13. We would be teenagers. It also met that Rin and I would move to the third floor where we would have our own rooms. It was night, and Rin and I were in our own beds getting ready to go to sleep.

"I am going to miss this." Rin said, looking around our room.

"Why? It is still going to be here. We won't be sleeping in it anymore." I said.

"I loved this room." Rin said, "I love the exposed brick and cement floor."

"You'll have carpet, and it won't be so cold anymore." I pointed out, "No more sleeping under eight blankets, praying the electrical blanket doesn't go out on you before morning, waking up as an icicle, no more me slamming my head into the brick overhang."

"Your blood still stains that brick too." Rin said, "This was our place."

"You can stay in here by yourself and try not to freeze to death during the winter." I said, "I can't wait to finally have my own place."

"Miku did say we could do what we want to this room. I want to turn it into a teen hangout, and yes, it will be nice not freezing at night, and having carpet instead of cement." Rin agreed, "Remember the time you managed to freeze your foot to the floor?"

"Did you have to bring that up? Kaito made us spend the rest of the winter with him in his room." I recalled that time. While Akaito was too busy laughing his head off, Kaito had used a hair dryer to free my foot from the floor. After that, Rin and I stayed in Kaito's room until it got warmer.

"It was funny." Rin said.

"Yeah, for you and Akaito. Akaito couldn't look at me for days without laughing." I said. "That's when we got our rug. Who is going to get it?"

"I don't know." Rin said, "It is a reminder of an embarrassment to you and I will be happy to take it."

"Lights off you two." Miku entered the room and came down the short flight of stairs toward us, "You two have school tomorrow." She turned off our bedside lights and left after giving us both a light pat on the head.

* * *

"Meow!"

"Ugh, Sundae! It's two in the morning, and I'm not getting up to feed you!" I woke up and shoved the cat aside.

"Meow!" Sundae grabbed my pajama shirt and pulled on it.

"What's gotten into you?" I pushed her away again.

"Len, shut up! Some people are sleeping here!" Rin hissed.

"MEOW!" Sundae screeched at me and nearly pulled me out of bed.

"Sundae!" Rin snapped, "You cut that out right now!"

"What has gotten into you?" I asked, turning on my bedside light.

"Meow!" Sundae ran to the bedroom doorway, "Meow!" She ran back and tugged on my pajama shirt, and repeated her actions.

"She is trying to tell us something." Rin said, getting up and pulling on her robe, "What is it, Sundae?"

I got up and followed my sister and the cat. Sundae probably got shut out of Kaito's room, again. I knew this wasn't true as we came in sight of Kaito's open bedroom door. Sundae looked back at us and meowed urgently. She led us both into Kaito's room. Rin gasped, and turned to me.

"Go get mom!" She ordered.

I knew this was very serious as Rin never called Miku mom. I took off for Miku's room.

"Please, don't be in the middle of something!" I begged wordlessly as I opened the bedroom door. I ran around the bed to Miku's side of the bed. I gently shook her awake.

"Len! It's 3 in the morning! Can't this wait?" Miku asked sitting up. On her other side, Akaito grumbled something about kids and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Mom, its Kaito. He is having a seizure!" the pillow Akaito had pulled over his head went flying as said red head tried to bolt out of bed. He ended up on the floor, tangled in the sheet. Miku was already out of bed and running. As I left, I heard Akaito mutter a few choice words as he struggled to free himself. We rushed back into Kaito's room.

"I'm not sure how many he may have had!" Rin called out at once, "This is the second one he's had since I got in here!" She was holding Kaito's head still while his body jerked about. It looked like he was a puppet being controlled by some demonic puppeteer.

"Len get me the medicine bag. Now!" Miku ordered.

I ran and grabbed the bag from the bathroom. Miku took it from me and tore it open. She dug through the bag, pulling out a syringe and a small clear bottle filled with milky fluid. Deftly, she plunged the needle in and drew some of the medication into the syringe. She and I grabbed Kaito's arm and Miku administered the medication. Akaito finally ran in.

"I just gave him a shot of Antivenin." Miku said, "I don't know how long he has been having seizures."

"It stopped." Rin reported, "He is burning up."

I found the thermometer and handed it to Miku. Akaito already had Kaito's medical journal open.

"Last seizure was on Wednesday, four days ago. Last recorded temperature was normal, 97.5." he read, making a new entry where he recorded the seizure, "Temperature?"

"That can't be right!" Miku double and triple checked the reading, "106.7? Len, can you go get me the thermometer inside the first aid kit in the kitchen? I want to make sure this one is working right." I left and returned with the other thermometer. Miku took it. "It says 106.7 too."

Akaito recorded it, "I need a bowl of ice water and wash cloths. We need to bring down his temperature."

Rin went for wash cloths while I got the water. Miku sent me and Rin back to bed. We both slept very little. Morning came way too soon. I got up and went to Kaito's room to find Meiko and Luka tending to Kaito.

"How is he?" I asked.

"He is doing better. I called Oliver. He and Gumi are going to come by later to check on him. I sent Miku and Akaito back to bed." Meiko looked up.

"Kaito experienced two more seizures on us, but his fever is down. The crisis seems to have passed." Luka smiled tiredly.

"How did this happen?" I asked.

"Kaito is taking immune suppressants." Luka explained, "Immune suppressants weaken your immune system. He takes them to prevent rejection of his new heart and lungs. Remember the first heart he got? Dr. Hart said that the reason it was rejected was because he already had an infection going on which provoked a response from his immune system. Since he already had a response going when the new heart was put in, his body attacked the heart too. The immune system saw the heart as something foreign. It doesn't see a heart and think heart. It sees the cells that make up the heart. It recognizes cells made by the body only. It did what it was made to do, attack the foreign cells. We need to make sure we get all our vaccines now. Kaito relies on us not getting sick so he doesn't get sick. He can't get the vaccines anymore."

"I guess that means I have to face the needle." I shuddered. I hate needles. The thought of something sharp entered my body gave me the willies. I would deal with it for Kaito.

"You could have gotten me. I was awake dealing with my son." Meiko said, "I'm not mad. You did do the right thing."

"I forgot to tell you that you and Rin can stay home from school today. I am just too tired, and my usual cup of coffee isn't cutting it. I've been up since six this morning." Luka replied, "Kaito is fine. He woke up not so long ago, wondering why we were in his room. The seizures he had were brought on by the fever." She yawned.

I decided to stay. I left to get dressed and grab a banana from the kitchen. I also grabbed Wings 2: Rise of the New Guardian, the second book in the Wings series, and my laptop. I curled up in Kaito's desk chair and went online. There were rumors that Wings was being turned into a movie, and I wanted to check it out. I also wanted to get some more work done on a song. The album was out at last, and months earlier on Valentine's Day, I had given Jodye a copy of the CD. She had given me a crocheted stuffed banana which I cherished.

Around ten in the morning, Kaito woke up. I helped Luka get him propped up with extra pillows. Sundae promptly curled up on Kaito's lap.

"How are you feeling? You had a bad fever during the night. I overheard Miku talking about night shifts." I asked.

"I veto the night shifts. I'm fine, really." Kaito answered, "Sundae knew what to do."

"She might have tried to wake up Akaito first."

"Akaito is such a deep sleeper that he once slept through most of a hurricane back when we went to Key West, Florida for the entire summer. He actually slept through an earthquake once."

"How to you sleep through an earthquake? You've got things falling, the building making noises it was never intended to make, and did I mention the noise?"

"Yet he slept through it. He woke up wondering why we were under the bed. He actually didn't believe me when I told him we had an earthquake. We were eight years old at the time, and we were here in Japan for me to see a cardiac specialist at the request of my pediatric cardiologist. I had my very first fainting spell two days later."

"How come the specialist didn't diagnose you with ES?"

"You know that the symptoms are wide ranging, and back then, ES had not yet been discovered. It was first discovered during an autopsy. For a while, it was considered an after death discovery. Only 180 cases have been diagnosed while the patient was alive, and of those cases, only 20 have survived. I'm the 20th survivor. You know me. I'm a fighter. I've had to fight since before I was born."

"I thought your fainting spells started a few years back."

"The spells stopped for a while after I hit puberty. My next one hit when I was eighteen. They were an annoyance until they proved dangerous."

"If I had not been sick that day…" I trailed off.

The pole had come in at a downward angle. I would have been in my spot behind Kaito, and the pole would have gone through me too. I would have ended up paralyzed, and I knew I would have remained that way for life.

"I would not have bothered to fight. It may not come out that way. It could have been so much worse. I am thankful Rin wasn't hurt."

"So am I. Seeing you with that pole gutting you was a shock."

"You threw up, remember?"

"In my defense, I was sick, and seeing you like that was gruesome. I still say I saw intestines poking through around the pole. How were you so calm about it?"

"It's called Xanax, plus morphine."

 **JODYE**

I was sorely tempted to move the minute hand forward five minutes to get the school day over already. It was sheer torture. I stared at the chair leg in front of me. My last class of the day was wood shop, and Rin and I were partners for this project. We were making a pair of rocking chairs, and once again, I messed up on the leg I was working on. I sighed. It was going to take a miracle to get an A for this project.

The final bell rang at last. I cleaned up my work area and after collecting Rin and Len's school work, I headed outside. The buses had already left. I sighed and headed for the city bus stop. I have a bus card and used the buses often.

"Hey! Jodye!"

I turned, "Hey, Miku!"

"Need a lift?" Miku asked, "I was in the area. I just got done doing the grocery shopping."

"Of course! I was on my way to your place. How is Kaito doing?" I asked.

"He is doing much better now. The fever is gone. He is getting restless over having to stay in bed."

"What have they said about him walking?"

"Kaito goes in for an MRI and a muscle biopsy Friday. We will know for sure then. We are here."

I helped bring the groceries in and delivered the folders to the twins. I had a huge load of homework to do. The twins and I tucked into our homework in Kaito's room.

"I'm really beginning to hate math." Rin muttered, "Simplification is impossible."

"I'm going to have to agree with Rin. I don't get the constants." I agreed.

"Allow me to explain." Kaito said, "A constant in math is a number that doesn't change. For example, the equation 5x-2. 2 is the constant. It will not change in the equation while 5x will."

"So numbers without an x are constants." Rin said.

"I still don't get it." Len said.

"You never get anything, Len." Rin rolled her eyes.

"Look for the number without an x." I dead panned.

With Kaito guiding us, we finished math. I was glad that he had not forgotten his love of math.

"I always wanted to ask. If you couldn't perform, what would you do?" I asked.

"I would go into construction work." Rin said, "I love building things."

"She has the worlds largest supply of Legos." Len said, "I've built up an immunity to the pain of stepping on them so much."

"For me, math teacher." Kaito said, "I actually have a degree in teaching math."

We all looked at Len.

"Stay at home dad." Len blushed.

"That's so sweet!" Rin cooed, "Let Jodye be the breadwinner!"

"Good, because I ain't staying home with kids." I added as Len got redder, "I would like to be a bioengineer, combining robotics with organic bodies."

"You'd be making Cyborgs. You could create a new race called the Borgs!" Rin said.

"Rin! Remember Star Trek?" Len asked.

"Sorry, Rin, but no. I want to give people with disabilities a chance to live a normal life." I said.

 **KAITO**

Friday came at last. I got to take my first unassisted shower. For me this was a big thing. I had also gotten good at moving myself into my chair on my own. I got dressed and moved from my bed to my chair. The only thing I couldn't do were stairs. I had heard talk about rooms being changed around and while I loved my room, I did understand the reason behind it. Being on the main floor would give me even more independence. I was done having to rely on everyone else. Sitting in my chair, I waited. Akaito came in followed by Miku, who was carrying the syringes. She set the first one up.

"I wonder how long it'll be before they finally release you from the feeding tube. You are already starting to eat regular food." Akaito said.

"That won't happen for a while yet." I replied, "I am in the process of relearning to swallow. Once I can swallow without nearly choking to death, they'll remove it."

"At least we no longer need to change the colostomy bags or urine bags." Miku set the second syringe up, "Next one is your medications, and then we need to leave for Seaside for those tests."

"That wasn't pleasant for me ether." Sundae jumped onto my lap, her leash in her mouth. She gave me an expectant look. "Ask them, not me." Sundae gave Akaito her look.

"Yes you can come too." Akaito sighed, "You better behave yourself, or no ice cream."

I leashed Sundae, "Hear that? And I'm still not allowed to eat ice cream."

Ten minutes later, Akaito carried me out to the car while Miku followed, carrying my chair. Sundae followed us.

Several hours later, we waited in Dr. Greene's office. Dr. Greene came in carrying a folder followed by Sonia. He sat down while Sonia remained standing. He opened the folder.

"When I first saw you at Mercy back in the beginning of November, I didn't think we would even see this day." Dr. Greene finally looked up, "Kaito, you have come so far, farther than I thought possible. I have never felt more proud of any of my patients than I do of you. Your MRI results are just fantastic. I do have something I want to show you." Standing, Dr. Greene took down a jar filled with fluid. A human heart floated serenely in the fluid. It was large, swollen, misshaped. "This was your heart. Because of you, we have learned far more about ES than before. We have found more cases and we are treating them. Because of you, several children get to lead normal, healthy lives. One of them, Shikaito, your cousin, now will lead a normal life."

"That's Taito's infant son. His twin sister is Kaita." Akaito answered, "Taito was so upset about it. He didn't want him to go through what Kaito did."

"There is something else I want you to see." Greene turned his computer toward them. On screen, a heart beat irregularly, the blood flowing backwards. "This is was Dr. Hart saw. Even the two kids knew that blood doesn't do that. This is the first TEE Dr. Hart did on you. It was all he needed to get a diagnosis of ES. Here is your last TEE." On screen, a heart beat normally, blood flowing the way it was supposed to. "You are normal."

An orderly came in and gave Sonia a paper.

"Your biopsy results are back." Sonia read the paper, "It is not good. Your leg muscles are too atrophied. You will never walk again, Kaito. You have pretty much no muscle in your legs."

Miku and Akaito turned to me..

"Surprisingly, I'm okay with it. I kind of already knew. I can still feel my legs. Who knows. Maybe someday there will be a way for me to walk again. It is not the end of my career. I can still sing, and there are ways to dance from a wheelchair. I can always dance with my hands instead. I have been thinking, and I have decided to go into teaching math. I will still tour with you and perform." I explained, "I will still record songs. Cheer up, you two. It's not the end of the world."

"You won't get to dance with me when we do Canterella, Centrillion, or Phantom of the Opera." Miku teared up, "No body can do the dance to Ashes to Ashes!"

"Hello? I'm right here." Akaito said, "I know those dances, except for Ashes."

"Jodye knows the dance for Ashes." I pointed out.

"What about Acute?"

"Miku, relax. I can still sing my part, and Akaito can handle the dance."

"What will you tell Gaku?"

"I'll deal with her."

"Miku, everything will be fine." Akaito broke in, "I've been my twin before. I can do his parts while he provides the voice."

"You are taking this very well, Kaito." Dr. Greene said.

"Yes, I do feel some sadness about never walking again, but at the same time, I am fine with it. I can live without walking. I can still do everything I used to, even dance. It only means I have to dance a different way." I said. "There is nothing to be upset with."

After a bit, we headed home. As I was carried into the mansion, I noticed work being done outside by the front stairs. Inside, there was more activity going on. Len was icing his bandaged hand while Rin and Jodye worked on the landing leading to my room. The railing was gone.

"I apologize for any lopsidedness." Jodye said.

"If you measured things instead of eyeball it, we wouldn't have anything lopsided." Rin was under the landing. "Now this is what I want to do with my life, after I am done being a performer that is."

"Len, what happened to you?" Miku asked.

"Jodye happened. Never agree to hold a nail for her." Len said.

"I told you to let go of the nail three times!" Jodye called out.

"Someone want to explain what is going on here?" I asked.

"Jodye and I are installing a ramp." Rin said, "Outside, we have a contractor building a second ramp. This way, you don't have to give up your room."

"I'm going to move into Akaito's old room so I can be close to Meiko and Gakupo, and help with my little sister and brother." Luka said, "Rin and Len are going to have their own rooms on the third floor."

"Luka's room is going to become an office, and the third bedroom on the third floor is going to be a guest room." Meiko was feeding the twins, "Jodye will be using it this summer. Her parents are returning to the dig to finish it. After that, they are done going on digs."

"The post is in." Rin called out, "l'll worry about the railing. You worry about the ramp." Jodye nodded as both girls headed to the basement.

By nightfall, the new ramp was finished. I tested the ramp out and it worked perfectly. No more having to be carried. I saw both girls staring at the space below the landing. They both looked at each other and nodded. We groaned, knowing full well that ideas were percolating in their heads. The outside ramp took three days to finish. I tested it out and it was perfect. I didn't have to be carried any more. I also got a new car, giving my old one to Luka. It did take some time to get used to using hand controls, and learning to get in and out of it as well as stashing my chair after getting in.

 **Queen Sunstar: We made it at last to the last chapter. Next is the epilogue, and finally, scenes that didn't make the cut. My next Vocaloid story is a crossover between Pokemon and the Vocaloids. Each Vocaloid is a Pokemon trainer.**

 **Ash travels to the frozen region Algid to take on the gym challenge. Serena travels with him so she can take on the performance circuit. They are joined by Len Kagamine and Luka Megurine. Len and Luka have been assigned by Akaito, leader of the Elite Four, to track down Algid's missing champion and bring him back to Glacier Plateau. There is a new threat known as Team Nova. Team Nova will kill to get what they want. They are nothing like the teams we've seen before. The shipping is Ash/Serena, along with Miku/Akaito and Luka/Gakupo. Don't forget to review, now!**


	25. Epilogue

**KAITO**

"You don't have to do this." I said, watching the teen sitting in the passenger seat next to me. "We can leave if you want."

It was hard to believe that Jodye and the twins were teenagers now. They had turned thirteen a few weeks ago.

"No. I need to face her." Jodye stared out the window, "It's the only way I'll ever be free."

I had driven her to the woman's prison just outside Tokyo. We were parked, and I was waiting for Jodye to make a move. Jodye had been the one to ask me to bring her here.

"I'm here for you. We can do this another time if you want." I said.

"No. Delaying will only make this worse." Jodye opened the door, "I'm facing her."

I pulled myself into my chair and followed her. She was right. She needed to face down her old teacher. She would never heal without doing this. We entered the prison where Zaito was waiting. He led us to an interrogation room where Tiffany Shia, Mrs. Shia to Jodye, was waiting. Zaito and I stayed back while Jodye sat down before her former teacher. They stared at each other.

"There is so much I want to say." Jodye finally broke her silence. "I need to know one thing. Why? Why did you treat me the way you did?"

"Deaf means retarded, freak." Shia's tone was cold, "I treated you the way you deserve to be treated."

"You believe the stereotype."

"It's not a stereotype. It's true."

"Do you really think I'm retarded?"

"Yes. You poor, delusional girl. You've been fed lies your whole life. The truth must hurt."

"Am I human? Don't I deserve to be treated like a human?"

"You should be locked up in Tokyo Mental Institution, which is where you are going once the judge throws out the charges against me."

Jodye took a deep breath, "There is one problem." She turned her head a bit to show her right ear, "I am no longer deaf." She turned her head again to show her left ear, "I had surgery to correct a deformity in my ears. My hearing is now slightly above average."

"Why that is amazing! You are normal!" Shia's tone dripped in sarcasm.

"I am the same person I was when I was deaf. No, don't interrupt. Let me talk. You hurt me badly. Your words have left wounds, deep wounds that may never heal. You never used my actual name. You never realized the gem you had. You could have helped me achieve greater heights. Instead, you broke me. You shattered my spirit and crushed my will. I am broken on the inside because of your belief that I was a stupid retard." Jodye choked back a sob.

I rolled to her side and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"Tiffany, my cousin, Saito Shion, teaches your class now. He came to me because he was worried about Jodye. He said that she would cringe and shrink down in her seat each time he walked by her desk. She jerked away with a yelp when all he did was put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She shrank away from him each time he leaned over her to help her with a math problem. You abused her, didn't you?" I asked.

"No, I did not abuse her in any way. It is not my fault Jodye got treated the way she did. She was a bad student and a bully. I had to get hard on her. It was the only way I could work with her." Shia grinned.

"Liar! You know that is not the truth! Own up to it, Mrs. Shia! You are a bully! I came here hoping to talk and maybe forgive, but I see you are still the same! You are a cruel woman! Stop spewing lies and admit what you did!" Jodye exploded, "You are heartless! You brought this upon yourself!"

"No, you brought these frivolous charges on me!" Shia shot back.

"You are an evil woman!"

"That's enough." Zaito cut in, "I believe the evidence. Jodye talked to the principle back in November and he had a hidden camera installed in your classroom. You can deny everything all you want but the evidence does not lie."

"No other student will suffer at your hands again. I saw it all, and your behavior is despicable." I nodded, "I will be taking over your class starting next school year. Saito is going to teach at the high school."

"I don't hate you, Mrs. Shia." Jodye said, "I want to forgive you, but right now, I can't. Someday I will be able to forgive and forget, but that day is not today."

"All of you deaf freaks are the same! My twin sister was deaf! She got all the attention, all the love! I was ignored! My parents doted on their pride and joy, who made my life a living hell! She got what was coming to her! Dumb retard didn't deserve to live! After she was gone, life did not get better! My parents built a shrine to my sister and continued to ignore me! It was like I didn't exist! I'm glad they got blown up! It served them right!" Shia screamed, "I'm the one who is broken!"

Jodye surprised me. She stood up and walked around the table. She knelt, and hugged Shia.

"It is okay. I am not mad at you. My own life wasn't easy ether. I understand your pain. I know what it is like to be ignored. My own parents aren't exactly parents of the year material ether. I have a sister who is insane and a dead brother. I too was pretty much left to my own devices. I have never once hated you." Jodye soothed.

"You are right. I am evil. I didn't realize how much alike we are. The way I treated you was wrong. I abused you. You should hate me. Why do you not hate me? I don't understand!"

"I don't hate you because I knew deep down that you were hurting and lashing out acted like a bandage to your psyche. It made the hurt go away for a little bit. It wasn't just you. I admit, I acted out a little too. For that, I am sorry. Yes, you did hurt me, but I'm past all of that. I only want you to admit you did wrong and get the help you need."

"I can do that." Shia wiped away a tear, "I will make things right. I will get help. I didn't realize my hurt was hurting you. I'm going to get better."

"I am not ready to forgive just yet, but this is a start on the right path." Jodye smiled.

 **AKAITO**

My wedding day was here at last. I paced, waiting for the ceremony to start. I glanced at my best man, Kaito, who was sitting on the couch. I was proud of how far he had come. He was in the process of being fed by Len. I did wonder if he would finally be freed from the feeding tube. Oliver had said that it could take up to a year before Kaito was strong enough to be able to swallow safely.

"You nervous?" Kaito asked.

"Yes, I am." I took a deep breath, "You weren't feeling good earlier. Are you sure you are okay?"

"I'm fine, Akaito. It was just a little bit of heart burn. Relax." Kaito smiled, "It is perfectly normal with a feeding tube."

"There you go." Len said, "Feeling better? We don't need you getting sick during the ceremony or the reception."

"I'm fine, you two. Caito already fussed over me earlier. Akaito, he brought his black medical bag with him."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he has a fully stocked operating room in it." I sighed.

My cousin, Caito, was a doctor, a very annoying, over dramatic doctor. He practically operated on tiny injuries. Rin had tripped earlier and scraped her knee. Caito was still treating her. You'd think it would only take a minute, but Caito was over through. He had all but performed an endoscopy on Kaito this morning after Kaito had admitted to having a little heart burn.

"I bet he is operating on her." Len said.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Kaito agreed, "Half of my family is insane."

"Oh boys!" Kaito and I both went white. There was no mistaking Aunt Shion's voice. Our aunt breezed into the room. She made a beeline toward me and ripped my tie off. "You call that tying a tie?" Aunt Shion asked, "Allow me to show you how it is done." She retied my tie and turned on Kaito next. "You look a little pale. Are you sure you are feeling all right?" She redid his tie too.

"I'm fine, auntie." Kaito reassured, "We need to get going."

"I should have Caito take a look at you."

"No need!"

"If you start to feel unwell, tell me."

"Fine. We seriously need to get going."

"Do you want me to push you? I don't want you tiring yourself out."

"I can handle wheeling myself, auntie. I know you worry because you care, and I do appreciate it, but please, there is no need to hover over me. You've done enough of that already. I promise, I'll let you know if I start feeling sick."

"You are due for your Celta and your next dose of pain medication." Len opened the black medical bag, "Pill form or injection?"

"Injection. I'm still working on relearning to swallow." Kaito decided.

Len prepared the syringe and did the injection into Kaito's right side. It was easier to do the injection there over his arm as he was still very skinny. He had gained back some of the weight he lost, but he still had a long road of recovery to go through.

We headed outside for the ceremony to begin. Yes, I cried. Miku looked amazing in her wedding dress. Luka had done an awesome job with Aunt Shion's dress. Before long, Miku and I became husband and wife.

 **LEN**

The new school year had begun, and it was the first day. Rin, Jodye, and I had scored the same math class and teacher. I entered my new math classroom, froze, and tried to back out. Unfortunately, Rin and Jodye were behind me.

"Yes!" Jodye claimed a seat, "Best teacher ever!"

I chose a seat next to her, "I'm in hell!"

Rin sat on my right, "Is it fun, Len? We get to be taught by Kaito!"

"That means no more 'forgetting' to do your math homework!" Jodye said.

"Who knows? You might finally score an A!" Rin added.

"I've arranged for your teachers to let me know what homework they gave you." Kaito said.

"I'm so doomed! I'm going to have to repeat seventh grade!" I whined.

"That means you'll have to take my class twice." Kaito rolled out from behind his desk as the rest of the class arrived and took their seats. Several girls stifled squeals as they realized who their teacher was,

"Rin, Jodye, make me pass seventh grade!" I cried out.

"I also teach two eighth grade math classes." Kaito finished, "Welcome, class! My name is Kaito Shion and I will be your math teacher for this school year. Len will probably tell you I am a harsh task master." I sank into my seat while laughter rang out, "The truth is, I will work you all hard. Let's have a great year together, and hope Len actually gets his first A." More laughter. It was no secret that I never got As.

We knew our Kaito was back.

 **Queen Sunstar: Yes, the entire story is finally done. I'm going to take a break from writing Vocaloid stories for a bit and focus on my Pokemon stories. I've got stricken, A Bedside Vigil, and soon to come, Dark Hero. My next Vocaloid story will most likely be Silent Wings.**


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